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© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.New Starbucks policy in U.S.: No purchase needed to sit in cafes
By JOSEPH PISANI NEW YORK©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
19 Comments
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Andrew Crisp
On top of the overpriced second rate coffee
Raw Beer
Great, one more reason to avoid Starbucks.
mmwkdw
To be honest, I rarely go to Coffee shops, Starbucks Coffee is just expensive coffee-like tasting water, as too many of it's competitors. A decent Coffee shop would probably end up being a small expensive boutique franchise catering to real Coffee connoisseurs, but now with this seating for free ruling, these too will probably go out of business. Perhaps Starbucks and the like need to go mobile, and sell their coffee from roadside vans - that way there's no argument about seating or Toilets, though I guess like AirBnB these mobile ventures will soon be kicked off the streets by the bricks and mortar businesses kicking up a fuss with the local governments.
Jalapeno
I've already seen foreign customers at Starbucks in Japan doing that very thing: having bought nothing but sitting there using the WiFi. Of course, the Japanese staff are not going to tell them to exit because they get to use that special "foreigner's pass".
As for Sbux in the U.S., as mmwkdw said, crank up that coffee aroma to an 11, and see your profits nosedive. There are other choices for decent coffee in places where it doesn't feel like you've walked into a Greyhound bus station.
mmwkdw
And not to forget the ambient music, this probably needs to be periodically inset with a Loud Jolt burst that will wake up any Customer attempting to sleep.
Coffee aromas will need to be strong, and made circulate throughout the shop premises, plus with a hint of sugary cinnamon in order to entice hunger...
I reckon Starbucks will make a few additional changes along with these new rules... otherwise, they're History.
mmwkdw
And the Toilets will probably become coin ("deposit") operated, with the lock having a fixed timer of 20 minutes (or so), thereafter it unlocks, and the coin needs to be physically reinserted from the outside after a vacancy period of 2 minutes during which the cubicle undergoes automated cleansing.
mmwkdw
In order for this to work, they will have to remove the chairs and replace with "standing steats" and bench tables.
Netgrump
In the US that would be a welcome improvement for the inhabitants of tent camps :)
FizzBit
Somebody's gonna get fired or resign over this in less than 6 months.
Ah_so
Such people will still be removed.
kyronstavic
Ridiculous. How many examples does it take to show that social justice virtue signaling and common sense don’t mix? Starbucks staff are going to be really pleased when they have to deal with freeloaders etc taking up space instead of paying customers and cleaning up their mess.
darknuts
I can't wait to see how many homeless squatters show up to take up residence now. It's just publicity stunt. My guess is they will quietly change this policy back in the future.
cla68
If Starbucks is going to prevent its workers from keeping their paying customers safe, then I won’t go there anymore.