Starbucks has announced a change to its restroom policy.
On Monday (January 13), Starbucks said it was reversing a policy that invited everyone into its stores with a new code of conduct.
The coffee conglomerate’s updated policy will prohibit people from hanging out or using the restroom at one of its locations without making a purchase.
The new code of conduct warns that violators will be asked to leave and says the store may call law enforcement if necessary. Starbucks said employees would receive training on enforcing the new policy.
What’s more, the fresh policy, which will be posted in all company-owned North American stores, also bans discrimination or harassment, consumption of outside alcohol, smoking, vaping, drug use and panhandling.
Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson said the new rules are designed to help prioritize paying customers. Anderson said most other retailers already have similar rules.
“We want everyone to feel welcome and comfortable in our stores,” Anderson said. “By setting clear expectations for behavior and use of our spaces, we can create a better environment for everyone.”
The new rules reverse an open-door policy put in place in 2018, after two Black men were arrested at a Philadelphia Starbucks where they had gone for a business meeting. The individual store had a policy of asking non-paying customers to leave, and the men hadn’t bought anything. But the arrest, which was caught on video, was a major embarrassment for the company.
At the time, Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz said he didn’t want people to feel “less than” if they were refused access.
“We don’t want to become a public bathroom, but we’re going to make the right decision a hundred percent of the time and give people the key,” Schultz said.
Since then, employees and customers have struggled with unruly and even dangerous behavior in stores.
Last year, Starbucks’ new chairman and CEO revealed the changes he wants to make to the coffee giant franchise.
The new boss, Brian Niccol, said he plans to focus on improving service — particularly during the morning rush.
He also said he wanted to reestablish stores as gathering places as he takes over the struggling chain.
In an open letter on the Seattle coffee giant’s website, Niccol said Starbucks is a beloved brand but that he found during conversations with employees and customers over the past few weeks a “shared sense that we have drifted from our core.”
Back in November 2024, Starbucks announced it would be returning to hand-writing customer names on drink orders instead of printing them on a sticker.
Additional reporting from the Associated Press
