A barista preparing a coffee at a Starbucks location in New York City
Starbucks announced it was ending a policy first introduced in 2018 whereby guests could enjoy the ambience of a Starbucks coffee shop without being required to make a purchase.
At the time, Starbucks said that it had told its workers to consider anyone who walks into its stores a customer, “regardless of whether they make a purchase.”
The new policy states that Starbucks spaces “are for use by our partners and customers” – and warns miscreants that they will be asked to leave.
Since that rule was put into place, however, staff and customers alike have had to contend with unruly and even dangerous behavior in stores. In 2022, the chain was forced to close numerous stores around the country – including six in Los Angeles and six in its hometown of Seattle – for repeated safety issues, including drug use and other disruptive behaviors that threatened staff.
The ubiquitous coffee shop also introduced rules for guest conduct that forbade guests from bringing in and consuming outside alcohol. Smoking, vaping, drug use, and panhandling were forbidden and grounds for immediate ejection.
Starbucks spokesman Jaci Anderson said the new rules are designed to help prioritize paying customers and said that most other retailers already have such rules.
“We want everyone to feel welcome and comfortable in our stores,” Anderson said. “By setting clear expectations for behavior and use of our spaces, we can create a better environment for everyone.”
