You will need to purchase something if you wish to use the restroom or linger around at Starbucks.
On Monday, Starbucks announced that it was revoking a policy that allowed anyone to enter its locations. All company-owned stores in North America will display a new code of conduct that forbids panhandling, smoking, vaping, drug use, outside alcohol drinking, and discrimination or harassment.
According to Jaci Anderson, a Starbucks spokesman, the new guidelines are intended to help give priority to paying customers. According to Anderson, the majority of other retailers already have such policies.
“We want our stores to be welcoming and comfortable for everyone,” Anderson stated. We can improve everyone’s environment by establishing clear guidelines for conduct and how our venues should be used.
The business may summon law enforcement if required, and violators will be asked to leave, according to the code of conduct. Starbucks promised to teach staff on how to implement the new policy.
The new regulations overturn an open-door policy that was implemented in 2018 following the arrest of two Black men who were attending a business meeting at a Starbucks in Philadelphia. The males hadn’t made any purchases, and the store had a policy of requesting non-paying customers to leave. However, the corporation was greatly embarrassed by the arrest, which was seen on camera.
Howard Schultz, the chairman of Starbucks at the time, stated that he didn’t want anyone to feel inferior if they were turned away.
“We don’t want to turn into a public restroom, but we will always make the right choice and give people the key,” Schultz stated.
However, disorderly and sometimes deadly behavior in businesses has been a problem for both staff and customers ever since. Starbucks closed 16 locations nationwide in 2022, including six in Los Angeles and six in Seattle, the company’s hometown, due to persistent safety concerns, such as drug usage and other disruptive activities that endangered employees.
— The Associated Press’s Dee-Ann Durbin
