Starbucks’ Latest Policy Looks To Deter Homeless People

Starbucks’s latest policy looks to deter homeless people from using the cafe as a resting spot.

A new rule enacted by Starbucks will no longer allow anyone to hang out in its cafes or use their bathrooms without ordering something first.

The new policy is part of CEO Brian Niccol’s strategy to lure customers back to the coffee chain after facing staggering sales.

A Starbucks spokesperson shared, the new policy is a “practical step that helps us prioritize our paying customers who want to sit and enjoy our cafes or need to use the restroom during their visit.”

May 2018: “New Starbucks policy, no purchase needed to sit in cafes”

July 2022: “Starbucks to close 16 US stores because of crimes, rampant drug use”

Aug 2022: “‘Woke’ NYC Starbucks now a haven for junkies, drunks and homeless”

Today: Starbucks abandons its no purchase policy pic.twitter.com/GBACEHNyRw

— John Hasson (@SonofHas) January 13, 2025

Starbucks announces it is reversing its open-door policy in North American stores.

Anybody that wants to hang out or use the restroom must buy something. pic.twitter.com/UhKiy8VXqs

— Pop Base (@PopBase) January 14, 2025

Check out what CNN reported:

Starbucks doesn’t want to be America’s public bathroom anymore.

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Starbucks is scrapping a policy that had let anyone hang out at its cafes or use the restrooms without making a purchase. The new rules are part of a larger effort to improve Starbucks’ cafe experience and deter homeless people and non-paying customers who have come to use Starbucks solely for shelter and bathroom access – but they reverse a policy that was put in place after one of the company’s biggest-ever PR disasters.

The new code of conduct, announced to stores Monday, is part of CEO Brian Niccol’s strategy to lure back customers, boost sagging sales and improve worker relations. It applies to all locations in North America and will be displayed on store doors.

The changes are a “practical step that helps us prioritize our paying customers who want to sit and enjoy our cafes or need to use the restroom during their visit,” said a Starbucks spokesperson in a statement. “By setting clear expectations for behavior and use of our spaces, we can create a better environment for everyone.”

Other changes include a ban on panhandling, discrimination, consuming outside alcohol and vaping, according to the policy posted online. Employees will receive training on the new policy.

Starbucks is also trying to incentivize customers to stay in its cafes instead of ordering to-go by giving perks for in-store orders. Beginning January 27, all customers can get one free hot or iced coffee refill served in its ceramic mugs or reusable glasses. Previously, the perk only applied to members of Starbucks’ loyalty program.

They removed every single chair in the Starbucks closest to my office because they didn’t want homeless people hanging out https://t.co/ktuCF2AO26

— Hagby (@abbyalps) January 14, 2025

Per Yahoo Finance:

Starbucks Corp. reversed a policy allowing anyone — even those who hadn’t purchased anything — to use its cafes, patios and restrooms, with the company saying it’s making the change to prioritize customers.

The company issued a new code of conduct as part of its plan to win back consumers, Starbucks said in an emailed statement. It’s the latest part of Chief Executive Officer Brian Niccol’s plan to make Starbucks locations more appealing and less frenetic.

Implementing such a code “is a practical step that helps us prioritize our paying customers who want to sit and enjoy our cafes or need to use the restroom during their visit,” Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson said. The company said it seeks to “reset expectations for what is and isn’t acceptable in our stores.”

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The new rules represent a pivot from a policy set in 2018 that allowed anyone to linger in cafes. That practice was adopted following an incident in Philadelphia in which a manager called the police on two Black men who were waiting in a store without ordering. After their arrest and the criticism it generated, the company closed its US locations for racial-bias training, while Starbucks’ then-CEO apologized.