On May 21, the world-famous coffee chain Starbucks announced a policy change saying that anybody can sit in their cafe, patios or bathrooms. Even people who do not buy Starbucks products.
The new policy change will help people who need free and easily accessible WiFi for school or work. It will also benefit travelers and tourists who are in desperate need of a bathroom on a road trip.
The policy change is the result of the public’s outrage when two men were arrested in a Philadelphia Starbucks while waiting for a friend. The manager said the police were called because the men did not buy anything while they were waiting.
The police eventually released the men from custody.
After the incident, Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson published a statement in an online letter on the official Starbucks website saying that he wants to work to make Starbucks a welcoming place for everyone.
“We have immediately begun a thorough investigation of our practices,” Johnson said in a statement. “In addition to our own review, we will work with outside experts and community leaders to understand and adopt best practices.”
The incident prompted Starbucks to organize an afternoon of racial bias training, which was held on May 29. More than 8,000 Starbucks stores across the country closed early for the day. The racial bias training included showing documentaries and audio recordings of multiple situations that could be influenced by race to employees.
The Citrus and Alosta Starbucks at Citrus Crossing is the closest Starbucks shop to Citrus College that is affected by the change. They closed at 2:30 p.m. on May 29 for the racial bias training. The Starbucks features a tidy indoors seating area, a small patio outside, a drive-thru and a men’s and women’s bathroom.
The Citrus and Alosta Starbucks declined to comment.
