Starbucks says its cafés, patios and bathrooms will be reserved for paying customers going forward, bringing back a “buy something or leave” policy that it removed after a racially charged incident in one of its stores.
The company moved to an open-door policy in 2018 after two Black men were arrested at a Starbucks location in Philadelphia while waiting for a friend. One of them asked to use the restroom and was denied, and the situation escalated when an employee called police, leading to a national uproar.
Starbucks announced shortly after that anyone who entered its locations would be considered a customer.
A spokesperson for Starbucks Canada confirmed the change to CBC News, adding that the policy reversal “does not change our commitment to inviting the community into our spaces.”
“By setting clear expectations for behaviour and use of our spaces, we can create a better environment for everyone. These updates are part of a broader set of changes we are making to enhance the café experience as we work to get back to Starbucks,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
Starbucks making changes amid sales slump
The changes come as CEO Brian Niccol works to revitalize the major coffeehouse chain, which has been struggling with disappointing sales and dropping revenues.
Niccol said in an earnings call last fall that the company would need to win back customers and change its strategy, including simplifying its menu, focusing on coffee and bringing an intimate coffeehouse vibe back to its locations.
The company also said Monday that it will offer free same-visit refills of hot or ice-brewed coffee and tea to all customers, not just rewards members, so long as they bring a reusable cup or use a Starbucks mug provided by the chain.
The coffee giant is offering the perk to encourage patrons to hang out in its cafés, rather than ordering their drinks to go — a market that is already served by its pick-up-only locations.
In October, Starbucks announced that it would kill extra charges for customers who substitute dairy milk with a non-dairy alternative. It also plans to bring back a “condiment bar” where customers can add their own milk and sugar to their drinks, and will reduce the number of new locations it opens in 2025.
The company doesn’t “intend” to raise prices during the 2025 fiscal year, a spokesperson told CBC News last fall.
