If you want to hang out or use the restroom at Starbucks, you’re going to have to buy a cuppa. On Monday, Starbucks announced it will end a policy that invited everyone into its coffee shops—paying customer or not. The new rules reverse the open-door policy that’s been in place since 2018.
That policy came about after police arrested two black men at a Starbucks in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The individual store had a policy of asking non-paying customers to leave, and the men hadn’t bought anything. But the arrest, which someone caught on video, was a major embarrassment for the company. Some accused the chain and police of racial bias.
Then-Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz made a statement after the incident. He said he didn’t want people to feel “less than” by not being able to access the stores and their restrooms.
“We don’t want to become a public bathroom,” Schultz said. “But we’re going to make the right decision a hundred percent of the time and give people the key.”
Since then, employees and customers have struggled with unruly and even dangerous behavior in stores. In 2022, Starbucks closed 16 stores around the country. The shuttered shops included six in Los Angeles, California, and six in the company’s hometown of Seattle, Washington. The stores had experienced repeated safety issues, including drug use and other disruptive behaviors that threatened staff.
Monday’s announcement states that a new code of conduct will be posted in all company-owned North American stores. The code bans discrimination, harassment, smoking, vaping, panhandling, and other problem behaviors.
The New Testament has a code of conduct too. It focuses not on specifics but on spirit. It enjoins people to “count others more significant” (Philippians 2:3) and “outdo one another in showing honor.” (Romans 12:10)
Spokesperson Jaci Anderson says Starbucks’ new rules are meant to put paying customers first. She says most other retailers already have similar guidelines.
Starbucks’ code of conduct warns that patrons who break the rules will be asked to leave. A store may call law enforcement if necessary. Starbucks says employees will receive training on enforcing the new policy.
“We want everyone to feel welcome and comfortable in our stores,” Anderson says. “By setting clear expectations for behavior and use of our spaces, we can create a better environment for everyone.”
The new code comes as part of a push by Starbucks’ new chairman and CEO, Brian Niccol. He’s working to bolster the chain’s sagging sales. Niccol says he wants Starbucks to recapture the community coffeehouse feel it used to have—before long drive-thru lines, mobile order backups, and other issues made visits less pleasant.
