Investing.com — Starbucks (NASDAQ:) has initiated a new code of conduct this month, aimed at improving the safety and experience of both its customers and staff across North America, according to a Monday report from the Wall Street Journal. The revised conduct includes a change in company policy, in place for almost seven years, that allowed the general public to use the cafes and their facilities, regardless of whether they made a purchase.
The new policies also incorporate posting signs in stores prohibiting harassment, violence, threatening language, outdoor alcohol, smoking and panhandling, according to employee notices seen by The Wall Street Journal. This updated customer code of conduct is part of Starbucks’ broader effort to make its stores more welcoming. The company is looking to recover from a decline in customer traffic and falling sales.
Starbucks North America President Sara Trilling, in a letter sent earlier this week, said, “Expectations need to be reset about how our spaces should be used and who uses them.” Executives emphasized the need for customers to have a clean and safe environment, and shared that employees have also raised concerns about the chain’s open-to-all policy.
Since 2018, Starbucks has allowed access to its cafes and restrooms regardless of purchase. This policy was a response to a 2018 incident at one of the company’s Philadelphia locations, where two men were arrested after one attempted to use the bathroom while the other was sitting at a table, despite not having no purchase. Employees reported the men to police as trespassers after they refused to leave when denied use of the bathroom. The incident sparked widespread criticism, prompting Starbucks to temporarily close all of its U.S. stores for racial sensitivity training. The men later sued the company and settled for an undisclosed amount.
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