Starbucks Officially Says You Don’t Have To Buy Anything To Sit In Their Stores
Starbucks was under fire last month over an incident in Philadelphia involving the arrest of two African-American men who were waiting in the store, but not buying anything.
While the national coffee chain will still hold employee racial-bias training at the end of the month, Starbucks also went ahead and announced a major change in policy.
According to an official release, the coffee chain stated that any customer is now “welcome to use Starbucks spaces, including our restrooms, cafes and patios, regardless of whether they make a purchase.”
This means you can now sit at a Starbucks, use their bathrooms, and free WiFi without having to pay for a beverage or pastry. If you’re working remotely, and you need a quick WiFi connection, you’ll no longer feel obligated to buy a (relatively) cheap cup of brewed coffee just to send a few different files.
Nice.
So far, the only stipulations they have are that guests: use the spaces as intended, be considerate of other guests, communicate respect, and act responsibly. Just don’t bring all of your household appliances to recharge or cause a ruckus, and you should be fine.
In a week, Starbucks will be closing all of their stores nationwide for an afternoon to hold that racial-bias seminar. If you need your coffee fix, plan accordingly.