Hanging out at Starbucks will cost you as company reverses its open-door policy

2 years ago by HellsBelle to c/news

If you want to hang out or use the restroom at Starbucks, you’re going to have to buy something. Starbucks said Monday it was reversing a long-standing policy that invited everyone into its stores.

If you want to hang out or use the restroom at Starbucks, you’re going to have to buy something.

Starbucks on Monday said it was reversing a policy that invited everyone into its stores. A new code of conduct – which will be posted in all company-owned North American stores – also bans discrimination or harassment, consumption of outside alcohol, smoking, vaping, drug use and panhandling.

Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson said the new rules are designed to help prioritize paying customers. Anderson said most other retailers already have similar rules.

ddash 133 points 2 years ago

Quick reminder that your local library probably does not follow those rules. Go hang out at your local library instead! Depending on location/country they might have a café too.

path: 0 14461692, hotness: undefined, score: 133, children: 42
FlyingSquid 61 points 2 years ago

And libraries are not just about books. This is a thread I made about the new library branch my wife oversaw the design of opening:

https://lemmy.world/post/21386043

The reason conservatives hate libraries is because everything in them is free. Many (like my wife's library system) do not even charge late fees anymore.

Many modern libraries also offer a ton of digital lending including ebooks, audiobooks and even streaming movies and TV.

path: 0 14461692 14463514, hotness: undefined, score: 61, children: 35
Screamium 13 points 2 years ago

My local library also offers a thermal camera rental! I've borrowed one several times, it's very useful!

path: 0 14461692 14463514 14464539, hotness: undefined, score: 13, children: 8
FlyingSquid 4 points 2 years ago

Nice! Having the free 3D printer access has been really useful for us on more than one occasion. We have no need to purchase one, but maybe once every six months, we might need to replace a part to something we can just 3D print and it's been great.

path: 0 14461692 14463514 14464539 14464854, hotness: undefined, score: 4, children: 7
evasive_chimpanzee 5 points 2 years ago

You just have to slowly start printing all the pieces for your own Von Neumann probe printer

path: 0 14461692 14463514 14464539 14464854 14466606, hotness: undefined, score: 5, children: 6
Willy 7 points 2 years ago

Just curious, but do they still have due dates if not late fees?

path: 0 14461692 14463514 14463749, hotness: undefined, score: 7, children: 6
FlyingSquid 15 points 2 years ago

They do. But basically it triggers a series of nagging emails which eventually result in a final one saying that you either return the book or pay for the book if you wish to continue using library services. If I remember correctly, that takes about nine months. And they don't charge some outrageous price for the book either, they just charge what it would cost to replace it. They might not even do that because they might not actually want to replace it, but my wife has never actually told me that. I imagine that's the case though because they're constantly weeding out books that no one has taken a look at in 20 years in order to make room for new books.

path: 0 14461692 14463514 14463749 14463785, hotness: undefined, score: 15, children: 5
Willy 2 points 2 years ago

Seems like a cool system but if your waiting for a copy of a new release they only have w5 copies of I can see not getting to read it for a very long time.

path: 0 14461692 14463514 14463749 14463785 14463844, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 4
Papacito8400 -12 points 2 years ago

I think they get annoyed when certain libraries get political and have displays featuring gender identity crises related books. I've seen it at my local library, and it's a bit much when I'm in there with my little 1st grader.

path: 0 14461692 14463514 14478570, hotness: undefined, score: -12, children: 18
CharmOffensive 10 points 2 years ago

Better that they know about it at 6 than grow up feeling like they're broken inside and end up taking their own life at 16.

path: 0 14461692 14463514 14478570 14481634, hotness: undefined, score: 10, children: 1
Papacito8400 -3 points 2 years ago

Hopefully they have better parents that actually parent. If you ever get a chance to parent, then do you.

path: 0 14461692 14463514 14478570 14481634 14486539, hotness: undefined, score: -3, children: 0
conditional_soup 2 points 2 years ago

Bro, the books aren't going to reach out and grab your kid. Your kids are probably not interested in it anyway. I'm more honestly worried that my kids are going to wander into the cringe fox news host books section, because the school has started programming their little brains about patriotism and such.

path: 0 14461692 14463514 14478570 14499860, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 0
FlyingSquid 2 points 2 years ago

How does it harm your child in any way to see book covers about gender topics?

Also, never, ever take them into a bookstore if that sort of thing is too damaging for them. They might see something like this and be immediately corrupted! They put them right there out in the open on display!

path: 0 14461692 14463514 14478570 14481862, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 14
futatorius 3 points 2 years ago
path: 0 14461692 14463514 14478570 14481862 14486484, hotness: undefined, score: 3, children: 0
Papacito8400 -1 points 2 years ago

The ones I've seen are designed like kids cereal boxes. This topic is so vogue and I'm not saying ban them. Just not have them displayed as a hot item. Mental illness affects more people than anything, I never see those books promoted as a hot item.

Romance love novels are hilarious, I'm sorry they affend you. I think they are kinda ridiculous. I never see those displayed as the hot item.

My wife and I are very affectionate and hold each other similar to this, so my kids see what love looks like.

path: 0 14461692 14463514 14478570 14481862 14486444, hotness: undefined, score: -1, children: 12
workerONE 30 points 2 years ago

I love going to the library to panhandle and smoke. Librarians don't mind, I always leave them a good tip.

path: 0 14461692 14461894, hotness: undefined, score: 30, children: 1
Papacito8400 1 point 2 years ago

That's a great idea!

path: 0 14461692 14461894 14479974, hotness: undefined, score: 1, children: 0
sirico 11 points 2 years ago

But I can't talk about how cool my macbook is and the bootstrap code I just copy and pasted

path: 0 14461692 14462173, hotness: undefined, score: 11, children: 1
ddash 16 points 2 years ago

You still can but the librarian might shush you.

path: 0 14461692 14462173 14462605, hotness: undefined, score: 16, children: 0
ronflex 2 points 2 years ago

Also community college libraries. Theyre usually open where you can kinda just show up

path: 0 14461692 14486325, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 0
Papacito8400 1 point 2 years ago

💯! This will also improve society as a whole if people went to library more than coffee shops. We take are kids all the time, and they love books and excel in school.

path: 0 14461692 14478520, hotness: undefined, score: 1, children: 0
ArtVandelay 93 points 2 years ago
Support
Local
Coffee
Shops

thanks.

path: 0 14466554, hotness: undefined, score: 93, children: 7
Flyswat 14 points 2 years ago

This, also BDS.

path: 0 14466554 14468114, hotness: undefined, score: 14, children: 0
Landless2029 9 points 2 years ago

I did a support call for a local coffee shop about a decade ago.

They had a separate WiFi router for guests. When they got a squatter they unplugged the guest WiFi if when they wanted him out.

They were in a very high traffic area and had minimal seating.

path: 0 14466554 14478245, hotness: undefined, score: 9, children: 2
Kiernian 1 point 2 years ago

LOL

Ten years ago I would have just blocked the MAC address.

path: 0 14466554 14478245 14494114, hotness: undefined, score: 1, children: 1
fuckwit_mcbumcrumble 1 point 2 years ago

That requires you to be able to log into the router first. Most of the people working there don’t even know how to do that. (Even if it’s printed on the bottom)

path: 0 14466554 14478245 14494114 14496622, hotness: undefined, score: 1, children: 0
Kazumara 2 points 2 years ago

SLCS?

path: 0 14466554 14481776, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 0
Dupree878 2 points 2 years ago

The local shops all close early. I don’t even drink coffee. I just want a place to work with WiFi. I usually buy a snack and drink.

path: 0 14466554 14500318, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 0
strawberry 1 point 2 years ago

my local coffee shops are not only cheaper, but better than the Starbucks, at least the ones downtown

better vibes and nicer staff too

path: 0 14466554 14769659, hotness: undefined, score: 1, children: 0
foggy 56 points 2 years ago

Targeting the growing homeless population. Don't let it confuse you for anything else.

path: 0 14463028, hotness: undefined, score: 56, children: 8
apfelwoiSchoppen 12 points 2 years ago

Exactly. Fascism was here but all the billionaires are putting out their flags now.

path: 0 14463028 14464618, hotness: undefined, score: 12, children: 0
BothsidesistFraud 6 points 2 years ago

Why would it possibly be on Starbucks to provide places for homeless people to hang out for hours. This should be a public function.

path: 0 14463028 14468478, hotness: undefined, score: 6, children: 5
BradleyUffner -2 points 2 years ago

Yeah! Why should a business within a community do things that help support that community!

path: 0 14463028 14468478 14471021, hotness: undefined, score: -2, children: 4
BothsidesistFraud 8 points 2 years ago

I know you're just circlejerking here so discussion is probably pointless, but there are many ways to serve the community and providing a quiet, nicely ambient place (aspirational goals, only met sometimes in reality) to sit or work for a few hours, for the price of a $3 coffee is one. I live in New York and for just over the price of a subway ride I can get wifi, a desk to work, outlets and a decently comfortable chair, and a restroom, and I can hang out there a while.

Serving the homeless in public places is notoriously difficult to get right, as most state and local governments experience demonstrates. Why we'd expect a cafe company to do a good job as well as meet its other goals is confusing.

path: 0 14463028 14468478 14471021 14471380, hotness: undefined, score: 8, children: 3
BradleyUffner -5 points 2 years ago

If seating isn't at capacity, it doesn't cost them anything additional to let someone sit down a bit to warm up.

path: 0 14463028 14468478 14471021 14471380 14471525, hotness: undefined, score: -5, children: 2
dutchkimble 1 point 2 years ago

So before this rule homeless people in the US could sit in a starbucks all day everyday without ordering anything?

path: 0 14463028 14478522, hotness: undefined, score: 1, children: 0
lurklurk 54 points 2 years ago

It's a café though... Isn't this normal for a café?

path: 0 14464470, hotness: undefined, score: 54, children: 6
Sylvartas 38 points 2 years ago

Yeah. But now they don't have any advantages over other cafés. Except the fact that their coffees basically double as a rich snack I guess.

path: 0 14464470 14464548, hotness: undefined, score: 38, children: 5
BenReilly97 15 points 2 years ago

Sure, if you like burned coffee.

path: 0 14464470 14464548 14468522, hotness: undefined, score: 15, children: 1
BeMoreCareful 9 points 2 years ago

Just put ten parts milk in there with some sugar and you'll never know.

path: 0 14464470 14464548 14468522 14471098, hotness: undefined, score: 9, children: 0
Fisherman75 3 points 2 years ago

It's the consumption of an idea. There's very little in the way of substance at Starbucks. I achieved more than any Starbucks order by grinding my folgers classic roast just now while using an unbleached compostable coffee filter and having cleaned the coffee maker with all natural biodegradeable dish soap. Can't afford good coffee grounds right now, but recently I had 'Punk Goes The Bunny', Billie Joe Armstrong's (from Green Day) coffee brand.

But here I am wondering if I'm just consuming a bunch of ideas myself. Consuming the idea of Punk Rock for instance, or eco-friendliness, or health. But then I catch myself and say "Those are tangible benefits." Anything more likely to make me listen to The Clash is a positive, anything that's not gonna put bleach in my body, anything that's gonna be clean for making coffee but without such a residue of dangerous chemicals as is typical with cleaners, and anything to add to my compost.

path: 0 14464470 14464548 14468044, hotness: undefined, score: 3, children: 1
BeMoreCareful 4 points 2 years ago

I didn't follow all that, but the Clash is the only band that matters.

path: 0 14464470 14464548 14468044 14471127, hotness: undefined, score: 4, children: 0
Dupree878 3 points 2 years ago

A lot of places don’t just have cafés. Starbucks is about the only place in town with WiFi and a place to hang out

path: 0 14464470 14464548 14500390, hotness: undefined, score: 3, children: 0
2ugly2live 47 points 2 years ago

Hanging out in Libraries is free! I've gone in just for the AC.

path: 0 14464152, hotness: undefined, score: 47, children: 2
ErrorCode 6 points 2 years ago

AC, read something, have a nice seat for a while.

path: 0 14464152 14466750, hotness: undefined, score: 6, children: 0
Empricorn 4 points 2 years ago

Or to pick up LILFs!

path: 0 14464152 14471920, hotness: undefined, score: 4, children: 0
frunch 41 points 2 years ago

"Hey, look at us--we're the new public hangout, everyone's invited"

Expands into an empire dotting the entire country

"Sorry poors--paying customers only, please."

Embrace, extend, extinguish all over again 🎉

path: 0 14463185, hotness: undefined, score: 41, children: 2
BmeBenji 10 points 2 years ago

If I remember correctly, this policy was introduced after they got flack because some employee called the cops on a black person who was just hanging out inside the store.

Turns out money is more important to them than the appearance of inclusion surprised pikachu face

path: 0 14463185 14465917, hotness: undefined, score: 10, children: 0
atzanteol 6 points 2 years ago

Embrace, extend, extinguish all over again

I do not think that means what you think it means.

path: 0 14463185 14467630, hotness: undefined, score: 6, children: 0
Etterra 30 points 2 years ago

Past: Person goes to Starbucks to hang out, ends up ordering coffee.

Present: Person isn't allowed to hang out in Starbucks, goes somewhere else.

Future: Starbucks backpedals in desperate attempt to win back customers.

path: 0 14478336, hotness: undefined, score: 30, children: 1
AngryRobot -15 points 2 years ago path: 0 14478336 14479110, hotness: undefined, score: -15, children: 0
bitwolf 29 points 2 years ago

The best thing I've seen in a coffee shop was a "Please no laptops" sign.

Its ridiculous how everyone just goes and works in coffee shops all day.

I understand buying a coffee, and working while you enjoy it. But once you're done, and your work is saved gtfo.

We need more third spaces.

path: 0 14471147, hotness: undefined, score: 29, children: 5
Flocklesscrow 17 points 2 years ago

People are also desperately lonely and isolated. They hang out in coffee shops just to have other living humans around them- even if they're not actively interacting.

We are all alone, together.

path: 0 14471147 14485082, hotness: undefined, score: 17, children: 2
SoftTeeth 6 points 2 years ago

Nothing will meaningfully improve until the rich fear for their lives

path: 0 14471147 14485082 14488504, hotness: undefined, score: 6, children: 1
EddoWagt 6 points 2 years ago

Grind the rich into coffee?

path: 0 14471147 14485082 14488504 14489743, hotness: undefined, score: 6, children: 0
LaunchesKayaks 9 points 2 years ago

I troubleshoot a VPN connection for a man who does his work from a Dunkin at least once a week. He doesn't even drink coffee or eat donuts. He just hangs out there and works until his VPN breaks.

path: 0 14471147 14478074, hotness: undefined, score: 9, children: 0
COASTER1921 6 points 2 years ago

Starbucks coffee isn't even good anyway. But without more coworking spaces or some other alternative people like me will occasionally be forced to work from one for one reason or another. In the towns around military bases especially you frequently see spouses of those who work on base in Starbucks doing their remote work since it's the only possible place they can work from if they were staying in a hotel the night before.

path: 0 14471147 14477902, hotness: undefined, score: 6, children: 0
HawlSera 26 points 2 years ago

And so dies another 3rd Space

path: 0 14481680, hotness: undefined, score: 26, children: 3
Duamerthrax 21 points 2 years ago

meh, this one can die.

path: 0 14481680 14484002, hotness: undefined, score: 21, children: 0
conditional_soup 8 points 2 years ago

[flat] No, wait, come back.

Starbucks seems intent on showing itself the door. Hopefully when they're done, better, smaller coffee shops with no shareholder obligations will take their place

path: 0 14481680 14499810, hotness: undefined, score: 8, children: 0
Aaron 2 points 2 years ago

The Starbucks 3rd space idea has been dead since 2015-2018. It was a conscious choice.

path: 0 14481680 14499969, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 0
kirbowo808 20 points 2 years ago

Well this gives me a good excuse to never go to Starbucks ever again (even though people shouldn’t be going to Starbucks anyway)

path: 0 14463433, hotness: undefined, score: 20, children: 1
BothsidesistFraud 5 points 2 years ago

Most people near a Starbucks are near a better coffee shop or cafe that's independently owned.

path: 0 14463433 14468496, hotness: undefined, score: 5, children: 0
rumba 16 points 2 years ago

Just put a CC reader on the bathroom door.

path: 0 14467262, hotness: undefined, score: 16, children: 5
atzanteol 19 points 2 years ago

Then put a Starbucks in the restroom.

path: 0 14467262 14467594, hotness: undefined, score: 19, children: 4
Fisherman75 10 points 2 years ago

Like russian nesting dolls. Just starbucks all the way down.

path: 0 14467262 14467594 14467836, hotness: undefined, score: 10, children: 2
funkless_eck 4 points 2 years ago

pushing my peepee into the miniature starbucks and peeing on the doll baristas 🤤🤤

path: 0 14467262 14467594 14467836 14470559, hotness: undefined, score: 4, children: 1
Fisherman75 5 points 2 years ago

u nasteh

path: 0 14467262 14467594 14467836 14470559 14472739, hotness: undefined, score: 5, children: 0
Bakkoda 4 points 2 years ago

No difference in taste.

path: 0 14467262 14467594 14477093, hotness: undefined, score: 4, children: 0
Kolanaki 13 points 2 years ago

Good luck enforcing the "can't use the bathroom without purchase" policy in California.

path: 0 14481715, hotness: undefined, score: 13, children: 0
Chessmasterrex 12 points 2 years ago

Meh, the last time I've been in one was 2011. Too expensive for what it is, and plenty of other options in my city.

path: 0 14464406, hotness: undefined, score: 12, children: 1
nomy 2 points 2 years ago

Yeah starbucks is a coffee shop for soccer moms and affluent suburbanites. There are a dozen better coffee shops that serve actual coffee for less AND you don't have to deal with Starbucks entitled customer base.

path: 0 14464406 14468276, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 0
ThatWeirdGuy1001 11 points 2 years ago

So what I'm hearing is people need to start pissing and shitting on the building itself.

path: 0 14466081, hotness: undefined, score: 11, children: 4
ArtVandelay 16 points 2 years ago

I can piss and shit on Starbucks management by not going there - all doing it for real does is force some underpaid barista to have to go clean shit up, and management learns nothing.

path: 0 14466081 14466540, hotness: undefined, score: 16, children: 3
ThatWeirdGuy1001 -5 points 2 years ago

You can do both. I never go to Starbucks but will gladly make a detour just to piss on the flowerbeds.

path: 0 14466081 14466540 14467905, hotness: undefined, score: -5, children: 2
ElcaineVolta 5 points 2 years ago

the employee having to clean up after you is most likely just trying to unionize and provide for their family.

path: 0 14466081 14466540 14467905 14469962, hotness: undefined, score: 5, children: 0
PlantJam 3 points 2 years ago

No don't, that's not good for the flowers!

path: 0 14466081 14466540 14467905 14468849, hotness: undefined, score: 3, children: 0
bcgm3 8 points 2 years ago

My fiancee got a Starbucks gift card from work, so we stopped by the one nearest us. The drive-through wrapped all the way around the building, so we went inside. Inside, there was only one huge table, with only one spot with an electrical outlet, and the music and cafe atmosphere were so loud... I can't imagine anybody trying to bring a laptop and "work" there.

But if I did, I guess I'd buy a coffee? That seems fair. I definitely prefer my local library for remote working outside of the house, though.

path: 0 14464958, hotness: undefined, score: 8, children: 6
AlecSadler 6 points 2 years ago

It's been awhile since I went to a library, but are there places for taking remote meetings to avoid disturbing others?

path: 0 14464958 14465705, hotness: undefined, score: 6, children: 4
evasive_chimpanzee 7 points 2 years ago

Oftentimes, yes. Mine has a series of little rooms. They are often used by teens working on homework together.

path: 0 14464958 14465705 14466566, hotness: undefined, score: 7, children: 0
Pheonixdown 3 points 2 years ago

Other than meeting rooms, I've seen some with the little privacy pods too.

path: 0 14464958 14465705 14467087, hotness: undefined, score: 3, children: 0
BradleyUffner 2 points 2 years ago

My local one has 10 or so small rooms for maybe 3-4 people max, and 2 larger conference rooms that could easily hold 30+ people each. It's not even one of the bigger city libraries either. The ones down town have even more facilities.

path: 0 14464958 14465705 14471108, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 0
bcgm3 1 point 2 years ago

To add on to the other replies here, both of the two closest libraries to me have several small rooms for this as well.

path: 0 14464958 14465705 14483375, hotness: undefined, score: 1, children: 0
lud 2 points 2 years ago

I don't work in coffee shops or even drink coffee. But I don't believe that the star bucks that people work in are the road side ones. Surely those most be the ones that are in town.

path: 0 14464958 14468965, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 0
werefreeatlast 3 points 2 years ago

I hope they can make their drinks even more expensive.

path: 0 14499870, hotness: undefined, score: 3, children: 0
dan1101 2 points 2 years ago

Had to check if this was an Onion article.

path: 0 14465383, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 0
friend_of_satan 1 point 2 years ago
path: 0 14464659, hotness: undefined, score: 1, children: 0
news
news

@lemmy.world

login for more options
39634
40400
9561

Welcome to the News community!

Rules:

1. Be civil

Attack the argument, not the person. No racism/sexism/bigotry. Good faith argumentation only. This includes accusing another user of being a bot or paid actor. Trolling is uncivil and is grounds for removal and/or a community ban. Do not respond to rule-breaking content; report it and move on.


2. All posts should contain a source (url) that is as reliable and unbiased as possible and must only contain one link.

Obvious biased sources will be removed at the mods’ discretion. Supporting links can be added in comments or posted separately but not to the post body. Sources may be checked for reliability using Wikipedia, MBFC, AdFontes, GroundNews, etc.


3. No bots, spam or self-promotion.

Only approved bots, which follow the guidelines for bots set by the instance, are allowed.


4. Post titles should be the same as the article used as source. Clickbait titles may be removed.

Posts which titles don’t match the source may be removed. If the site changed their headline, we may ask you to update the post title. Clickbait titles use hyperbolic language and do not accurately describe the article content. When necessary, post titles may be edited, clearly marked with [brackets], but may never be used to editorialize or comment on the content.


5. Only recent news is allowed.

Posts must be news from the most recent 30 days.


6. All posts must be news articles.

No opinion pieces, Listicles, editorials, videos, press releases, or celebrity gossip will be allowed. All posts will be judged on a case-by-case basis. Mods may use discretion to pre-approve videos or press releases from highly credible sources that provide unique, newsworthy content not available or possible in another format.


7. No duplicate posts.

If an article has already been posted, it will be removed. Different articles reporting on the same subject are permitted. If the post that matches your post is very old, we refer you to rule 5.


8. Misinformation is prohibited.

Misinformation / propaganda is strictly prohibited. Any comment or post containing or linking to misinformation will be removed. If you feel that your post has been removed in error, credible sources must be provided.


9. No link shorteners or news aggregators.

All posts must link to original article sources. You may include archival links in the post description. News aggregators such as Yahoo, Google, Hacker News, etc. should be avoided in favor of the original source link. Newswire services such as AP, Reuters, or AFP, are frequently republished and may be shared from other credible sources.


10. Don't copy entire article in your post body

For copyright reasons, you are not allowed to copy an entire article into your post body. This is an instance wide rule, that is strictly enforced in this community.

go to feed...