Starbucks reverses open-door policy: Buy something or leave
Natalie Neysa Alund
Planning to pop into Starbucks to meet a partner, use the restroom, or use the Internet? Better order a latte or cold brew before you do.
Nearly seven years ago, the globe’s biggest coffee chain began allowing non-paying guests to use its facilities.
In a 180-shift Monday, Starbucks announced the business is reversing its open-door policy in all its business-owned North American stores. According to the policy posted online, people who enter the coffee magnet’s front doors must now order something from the menu to hang out or use the bathroom.
The recent code of conduct, which will be posted at U.S. locations, will also ban discrimination or harassment, consumption of outside alcohol, smoking, vaping, drug use,and panhandling, the Seattle-based coffee chain announced.
Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson said the policy reversal is designed to assist prioritize paying customers.
“We desire everyone to feel welcome and comfortable in our stores,” Anderson told USA TODAY Tuesday. “Implementing a Coffeehouse Code of Conduct is something most retailers already have… This means our cafes, patios, and restrooms are for customers and partners. By setting obvious expectations for behavior and use of our spaces, we can make a better surroundings for everyone.”
According to Anderson, the business knows customers may require to use the restroom or log on to the Wi-Fi before they way the counter to make a purchase.
“Of course that is okay – our code of conduct is simply about prioritizing our spaces for our customers during their visits and being obvious about what is expected of individuals in our stores,” Anderson said.
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recent leadership, recent rule
The recent rule reversal comes under the recent leadership of Starbucks Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol, who in a Jan. 9 statement, vowed to lure back customers, lift sales, and more.
“Our stores have always been more than a place to get a drink….A visit to Starbucks is about connection and joy, and of course great coffee,” said Niccol, hired from Chipotle in 2024. “Many of our customers still encounter this magic every day, but in some places − especially in the U.S. − we aren’t always delivering. It can feel transactional, menus can feel overwhelming, product is inconsistent, the wait too long or the handoff too hectic. These moments are opportunities for us to do better. “
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“Today, I’m making a commitment: We’re getting back to Starbucks. We’re refocusing on what has always set Starbucks apart − a welcoming coffeehouse where people gather, and where we serve the finest coffee, handcrafted by our talented baristas. This is our enduring identity.”
When did the Starbucks open door policy began?
The shift reverses a rule transformation the coffee chain made in 2018, after a store manager called the police on two Black men when they didn’t order food or drinks at one of the chain’s Philadelphia stores.
In 2018, Donte Robinson and Rashon Nelson, were arrested for trespassing in a racially-charged incident at the Starbucks in an upscale downtown neighborhood April 12. They were waiting to meet a third person for a business conference.
The encounter, caught on video, sparked outrage over racial profiling, led to a discrimination lawsuit, and an apology from the business’s former CEO Kevin Johnson among other actions.Starbucks later reached a budgetary settlement with the men in May 2018. The business declined to release terms of the settlement.
This narrative has been updated to include a statement from a Starbucks spokesperson.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a elder reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and pursue her on X @nataliealund.
