Everybody’s favorite free Wi-Fi hotspot and busy city caffeine-fueled bathroom slash cafe, Starbucks, is doing away with several fan-favorite policies. After instituting some great (or extremely annoying, depending on your preference) policies a few years ago, Starbucks’ controversial open-door policy is going bye-bye.
No More Wi-Fi or Bathrooms For Non-Paying Customers
The controversial policy was implemented to invite people to hang out inside its many stores. Folks could use free Wi-Fi, the bathroom, and generally lounge, much to the chagrin of customers who were there for a quick cold brew or a dose of Nitro-fueled coffee hysteria.
Starbucks quietly updated its “Coffeehouse Code of Conduct,” which detailed the changes to its store policies. The list of changes is as follows.
We want to ensure our spaces are prioritized for use by our customers. Our Coffeehouse Code of Conduct is something most retailers have and is designed to provide clarity that our spaces – including our cafes, patios and restrooms – are for use by customers and partners.
- No misuse or disruption of our spaces
- No discrimination or harassment
- No violence or abusive/threatening language
- No consuming outside alcohol
- No smoking/vaping or drug use
- No panhandling
Fans didn’t take the news well. On Pop Bases’s X, some fans were outraged over the changes, while others lamented the extra workload shoved onto the already poorly paid baristas who work at the venerable coffee powerhouse. “Are they gonna hire security to patrol the restrooms & seating areas? Bc I don’t think Starbucks employees get paid enough to police the building too“, “imagine the lawsuits if someone is refused the bathroom,” “Former barista & I can confirm they don’t get paid nearly enough to care.“
With these changes in place, only time will tell if this will slowly push the freeloaders out of the store or if those affected customers will begrudgingly overpay for mediocre coffee for the sake of good internet.
