Customers of Starbucks in Missouri and across the United States will have some new rules if they wish to enjoy the coffee house's atmosphere.

According to KSDK, back in 2018, two Black men were arrested at a Philadelphia Starbucks where they had gone to a business meeting. The store had a policy of asking non-paying customers to leave, and the men hadn't bought anything. Yet, the arrest, caught on video, embarrassed Starbucks and led to a policy inviting everyone into their coffee shops.

While well-intentioned, KSDK reports that Starbucks employees and customers have struggled with unruly and even dangerous behavior in stores since the chain's open-door policy. So, new chairman and CEO Brian Niccol says the coffee chain is introducing new rules that will be posted in all corporate-owned North American stores.

The rules require that a purchase be made if you want to hang out in Starbucks or use their restroom. Additionally, the rules ban discrimination or harassment, consumption of outside alcohol, smoking, vaping, drug use, and panhandling. The code of conduct warns that violators will be asked to leave and says the store may call law enforcement.

Starbucks told KSDK, “We want everyone to feel welcome and comfortable in our stores. By setting clear expectations for behavior and use of our spaces, we can create a better environment for everyone.”

I can support most of the rules, except those that require a purchase to hang out in the store or use the restroom. Now hear me out on this: regarding requiring a purchase to hang out in the store, my question is, what if someone has a business meeting scheduled for Starbucks, and one of the members doesn't like coffee or doesn't prefer Starbucks? Or what if it's a group of friends?

It will be a bad look for the coffee chain when a barista kicks out four people holding a business meeting or visiting because one decided they didn't want to buy a coffee or some fru-fru overpriced pastry.

The restroom issue is a little more complex. Starbucks is in areas with many pedestrians and few public restrooms. I understand not wanting to be the de facto place where everyone pops in to use the restroom but not buy anything, yet the average Starbucks is in a strip mall. Is it worth hassling the occasional person who pops in and needs a potty break?

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When training baristas and managers on the new policies, I hope they will discuss when it may be OK to let someone hang out in the store or, perhaps, when it may be OK to let someone use the restroom without a purchase. Otherwise, I think Starbucks is one bad barista away from another embarrassing news story that will make its stores look anything but a friendly place to enjoy a cup of coffee.

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