Starbucks new policy lets 'customers' use facilities in branches - whether they have bought anything or not
Starbucks has announced a new policy which means people will be allowed to use facilities in branches regardless of whether they make a purchase.
Starbucks US announced the policy change on Saturday: “any customer is welcome to use Starbucks spaces, including our restrooms, cafes and patios, regardless of whether they make a purchase.”
It also added that employees should follow established procedures to address “disruptive behaviours” and to call the police if they felt in “immediate danger or threat.”
Before the change in policy was implemented it would have fallen on store managers to decide whether or not people who had not purchased anything could use the restroom or sit in the restaurant.
When the Standard approached Starbucks UK, a spokesman said that it would be complying with the new corporate guidelines.
The new policy was implemented in the US following an incident which occurred in Philadelphia last month where two black men who went to Starbucks were denied use of the restroom and asked to leave.
An employee in the restaurant called the police and the two men were arrested prompting protests and accusations of racism from many on social media.
The men called Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson, were waiting for another man, Andrew Yaffe, who is white, for a business meeting on April 12 when the officers arrived.
The arrest was captured on video which quickly went viral.
@Starbucks The police were called because these men hadn’t ordered anything. They were waiting for a friend to show up, who did as they were taken out in handcuffs for doing nothing. All the other white ppl are wondering why it’s never happened to us when we do the same thing. pic.twitter.com/0U4Pzs55Ci
— Melissa DePino (@missydepino) April 12, 2018
In the video Mr Yaffe can be heard asking why the police were called.
“What did they get called for?...Because there are two black guys sitting here meeting me?”
Starbucks did not press charges and the men were later released.
The company has since apologised to both men in a statement written by Kevin R. Johnson, Starbucks chief executive.
Starbucks said it would close its stores in the United States on May 29 to give anti-bias training to 175,000 employees.
Mr Nelson and Mr Robinson reached a “confidential financial settlement” with Starbucks and reached a personal financial settlement of $1 with the city of Philadelphia.