Political correctness and racial pandering don’t come without consequences, which Starbucks may soon learn firsthand.
The coffeehouse chain announced a new policy Saturday in response to the incident last month in Philadelphia, were two black men were arrested after refusing to leave. The new policy allows “any” guest to use its facilities, to include restrooms, whether or not they make a purchase, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The men arrested in Philadelphia were non-paying customers who said race was a contributing factor in them being asked to leave. There was no evidence to support the claim, but the national media ran with the story, resulting in Starbucks shutting down operations at more than 8,000 stores to rush its employees through diversity training.
An email to employees Saturday, Starbucks said “any person who enters our spaces, including patios, cafes and restrooms, regardless of whether they make a purchase, is considered a customer.”
“Any person” would include the homeless and other indigent people… who are sure to get the word real quick.
As one social media user said of the inane policy, “This is a perfect example of being ‘so open minded your brains fall out.’”
It seems as though the real issue was no real standard policy across all cafes. Would it then have been so scandalous to set a single policy of facilities only for paying customers? This is a perfect example of being “so open minded your brains fall out.” https://t.co/AhkhfWOLxE
— Matt (@matt0999) May 20, 2018
Here’s a sampling of other responses on Twitter, to include a suggestion Starbucks locations just became “new state of the art homeless shelters.”
1000’s of new state of the art homeless shelters open across the US https://t.co/OZgXR1vMIt
— Mitch Hallford (@MitchHallford) May 19, 2018
I’m curious about a business model that does not require selling products
I’m also wondering how inviting a Starbucks full of homeless folks will be to paying customers https://t.co/8v6bQPCM8t
— Jim Hanson (@Uncle_Jimbo) May 20, 2018
You have to believe that they thought this through carefully, and are willing to take the hit on financials and customer satisfaction. And there will certainly be a hit. https://t.co/Pfvgqr4JTV
— Dean Frazier ???????? (@DPFrazier) May 19, 2018
By this time next year @Starbucks will be advertised as “flophouse and soup kitchen”.
— Christy Waters (@ThatChristyChic) May 20, 2018
Starbucks is now a public toilet that sells coffee on the side:https://t.co/jAAHcHS5lu
— varifrank (@varifrank) May 19, 2018
Cool, I know where to tell my son to live for a month in between apartments at college https://t.co/zmTgTabj8C
— Lisa Can (@lisacanhave) May 19, 2018
Have fun, Starbucks managers worldwide. https://t.co/u45bUSihmF
— Jim Treacher (@jtLOL) May 20, 2018
Here is for hoping Starbucks turns itself into free homeless shelters. Liberals can live a little of what they preach. https://t.co/qV94WPZJza
— Robert Barnes (@Barnes_Law) May 20, 2018
Bring your own toilet paper https://t.co/sbqs6cr3K0
— rano (@rano43984518) May 19, 2018
Via BPR