Starbucks changes bathroom policy after Philadelphia arrest: Anyone may use them

Zlati Meyer | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Starbucks changes its bathroom policy The coffee chain clarified who is allowed to use its restrooms.

Starbucks is now allowing anyone who wants to use the bathroom in one of their stores to do so, even if the person hasn't purchased anything.

Howard Schultz, executive chairman of Starbucks, cited the new policy at an event hosted by the Washington, D.C., think tank the Atlantic Council on Thursday.

"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, because we don’t want anyone at Starbucks to feel as if we are not giving access to you to the bathroom," he said, according to a transcript of the panel discussion. "We want you to be more than."

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Last month, two African-American men were arrested for trespassing at a Starbucks in downtown Philadelphia. One had asked to use the bathroom and was told restrooms were only for paying customers. He demurred and sat down to wait with his friend for their business associate to join them for a real-estate meeting.

The episode sparked a national uproar -- and a public-relations nightmare for the Seattle-based chain.

Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson apologized to the victims, Donte Robinson and Rashon Nelson, and the company reached a settlement with them. Starbucks is temporarily closing all of its 8,000-plus company-owned stores in the U.S. along with its corporate offices on the afternoon of May 29 for racial-bias training for staff members.

Schultz said the company rule about bathroom usage hadn't been specific.

"We have a kind of a loose policy around, 'you should be able to use the bathroom if you buy something,'" he said. "And it’s really the judgement of the manager."

Starbucks has previously said the employee in Philadelphia who called 911 is no longer with the company.

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