Move comes after company was accused of bias when two black men were arrested for sitting without buying anything as they waited for a meeting

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Starbucks has told its employees to allow all guests to use the facilities in its coffee shops, including restrooms, regardless of their spending – unless they exhibit disruptive behavior including smoking, drug or alcohol use, improper use of bathrooms and sleeping.

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The guidance, described as the “third place policy”, comes a month after the coffee giant found itself accused of discriminatory practices after a store manager in Philadelphia called the police on two black men who asked to use the bathroom without purchasing anything and then refused to leave the store because they were waiting to hold a business meeting.

The new policy was announced on Saturday in a company-wide letter that stated: “Any person who enters our spaces, including patios, cafes and restrooms, regardless of whether they make a purchase, is considered a customer.”

Previously, Starbucks employees had been free to exercise judgment about non-paying guests. The company said the new policy would apply to its more than 8,000 company-operated US cafes. It would issue different guidelines for its international stores, it said.

We don’t want to become a public bathroom but we’re going to make the right decision 100% of the time Howard Schultz

“We don’t want to become a public bathroom but we’re going to make the right decision 100% of the time and give people the key,” Starbucks’ chairman, Howard Schultz, told attendees of a corporate responsibility conference in Washington, according to the Wall Street Journal.

But the guidance failed to quell mounting customer anxiety about what might qualify as disruptive behavior. A spokesman told the Journal such behaviors “include smoking, drug or alcohol use, improper use of restrooms and sleeping”.

In a further statement issued on Monday, Starbucks said it is “committed to creating a culture of warmth and belonging where everyone is welcome”.

This policy, the statement read, “is intended to help maintain the third place environment in alignment with our mission to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.”

The company said it will “respectfully request” Starbucks customers to maintain a warm and welcoming environment by using spaces as intended, being considerate of others, communicating with respect, and acting responsibly.

The Philadelphia cafe involved in the 12 April incident had signs informing visitors that the bathrooms were for paying customers only. After the police were called on Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson, the men were arrested and spent hours in jail.



They were not charged and later reached settlements that included a nominal financial sum and “a commitment to continued listening and dialogue between the parties as a means toward developing specific actions and opportunities”.

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“I want to thank Donte and Rashon for their willingness to reconcile,” said Starbucks’ chief executive, Kevin Johnson, announcing the settlement. “Starbucks will continue to take actions that stem from this incident to repair and reaffirm our values and vision for the kind of company we want to be.”

The chain plans to close its company-operated stores next Sunday afternoon to give employees anti-bias training. In 2015, Starbucks initiated a program to encourage employees to discuss race with customers. The directive was quickly dropped.

Under the new policy, customers will be able to stay in stores unless they are “behaving in a disruptive manner”.

In Monday’s guidance the company went further, saying that “in situations where a customer is behaving in a disruptive manner that does not maintain the third place environment and interferes with the Starbucks Experience for others, Starbucks partners [ie employees] should follow the ‘Addressing Disruptive Behaviors’ procedure.”

The guidance continued: “If a situation presents an immediate danger or threat to partner or customer safety, Starbucks partners should call 911.”