Starbucks reverses open bathroom policy—you'll now have to buy something first

( Post Millennial )

On Monday, Starbucks announced it will now require that people make a purchase before using its bathrooms or hanging out in its stores, reversing a 2018 policy allowing anyone to use the bathroom or loiter. The coffee giant's new code of conduct will be posted in all company-owned North American stores and also bans consumption of outside alcohol, smoking, vaping, drug use and panhandling.

Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson told KOMO News the new rules were to prioritize paying customers. “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.” According to the code of conduct, violators will be asked to leave, and the store employees may call law enforcement.

Starbucks employees in Seattle previously told The Post Millennial that they regularly dealt with people "doing drugs in bathrooms" and had frequently to clean up drug paraphernalia and needle debris. They added that homeless people "wander in off the streets and harass employees and customers."

In 2022, former Starbucks CEO and founder Howard Schultz told employees that the coffee giant would be shuttering locations due to safety concerns including drug use and other behaviors that threatened staff. Starbucks closed 16 US stores, including six in Seattle and another six in Los Angeles. At the time, Schultz blamed elected leaders of the Democrat cities where the stores were closing. "At the local state and federal level, these governments... and leaders, mayors and governors and city councils have advocated their responsibility in fighting crime & addressing mental illness," he said.

Schultz also said that year that he was considering closing the store bathrooms to all except paying customers. “Mental health problems" were cited by Schultz as having created threats to staff and customers and interfered with employee's ability to manage stores, according to The New York Times.

Earlier this month, Starbucks permanently closed a store in a prime Seattle location near the iconic Pike Place Market after claiming the closure last year was only temporary. The franchise was always packed with customers, especially tourists.