Starbucks has caused a stir by reversing a policy that allowed anyone to use its bathrooms, with the American public warned they would have to buy something or leave.
In a new code of conduct released on Monday, the hot drinks giant, which boasts 29,000 retail stores in 78 markets, said it wants to “ensure that our locations are prioritized for use by our customers.”
According to the policy, this includes the chain’s cafes, patios and restrooms, which Starbucks noted most retailers enforce.
American retailers like Starbucks that offer themselves as so-called “third places” – a gathering place outside the home or office – face a dilemma in a country where public toilets are sparse.
The question of bathroom access has been a thorny one for Starbucks, with the issue coming into the spotlight in 2018 when two Black men were denied access to a branch bathroom while they were waiting for a friend.
When they sat down in the Philadelphia location’s seating area without ordering in, the staff called the police, leading to a PR disaster. People were arrested but never charged.
After the debacle, Starbucks adopted an “open bathroom” policy meaning that its restrooms – including those in cafes – would be open to everyone.
But in 2022, interim chief executive Howard Schultz said the policy may have to be ended because of safety issues for people with mental health problems.
‘Strengthen our reserves’
“We have to fortify our stores and protect our people,” Schultz said at the time. “I don’t know if we can keep our bathrooms open.”
At a busy Manhattan location, where the planned policy was not yet displayed on the door, a barista, declining to be named, said, “People will still try and go there — the homeless certainly — that’s for sure. “
The Midtown branch was equipped with a single toilet with a numerical lock, with a steady stream of people using the facility after receiving the code from the staff.
“But if people follow the rules it should be better,” the barista said, suggesting that the policy would make life easier for employees.
At another location a few blocks away, an employee said it was “okay” for non-paying visitors to use the restrooms and café seating areas, apparently unaware of the new policy.
Starbucks customer Noel DeVoe speculated on X that the policy would not be used against “college kids or professionals.”
“It would be a way for them to weed out people they consider undesirable,” he said.
Starbucks reported a 3 percent year-over-year decline in global net revenue to $9.1 billion in the fourth quarter through October 2024.
The results showed that sales continued to decline, as the new CEO vowed to make strategic changes to turn the company around.
The caffeine giant claims to be “nurturing the human spirit… one neighborhood at a time” in its corporate motto.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
