Starbucks Changes Open-Door Policy; expert calls the decision a ‘very risky move’

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Starbucks is changing course when it comes to its open door policy.

The company will no longer let people hang out or use their restrooms without making a purchase. It’s a business move that some say could come with unintended consequences of racial bias, reminiscent of an incident that thrust a Philadelphia Starbucks into the national spotlight.

RELATED: Starbucks reverses open-door policy instituted after incident at Philadelphia store

The new policy was detailed in a memo sent to Starbucks stores. It details what the chain calls a new code of conduct that “makes it clear that our spaces, including our cafes, patios and restrooms, are for the use of paying customers and our partners.”

“It’s a very, very risky move,” said Temple University’s Subodha Kumar, who is the Paul R. Anderson Distinguished Chair and professor of statistics, operations and data science at the Fox School of Business.

Kumar researches business policies and their impact.

“Obviously, some customers will feel safer,” he said of the new Starbucks policy, “but there’s another type that some people just won’t come because they feel like it’s not going to be welcoming environment.”

One of the concerns is that the policy may promote bias. It’s a situation Starbucks already faced in April 2018, when two black men were arrested after sitting inside a Starbucks at 18th and Spruce streets in Rittenhouse Square without buying anything.

The incident sparked widespread protests and policy changes. After the incident, Starbucks strengthened its open-door policy, saying people did not need to purchase anything to use the space.

This new policy is a reversal.

“It can create some inherent culture of discrimination,” Kumar said. “If employees are not trained and they just implement this policy, it can be harmful because different employees can treat customers very differently.”

According to the memo, each store will receive up to three hours of training on the new policies, which also aim to encourage paying customers to stay longer by offering free hot or iced coffee refills. It’s a move to boost profits for the coffee company, which has seen a dip in sales.

With some stores citing safety concerns, Starbucks says the new policies are part of a mission to “return to Starbucks and create the warm and welcoming coffee house our customers expect.”

Experts like Kumar just hope Starbucks pays close attention to the impact on the coffee chain and its customers.

“My only concern is whether they have thought through the unintended consequences,” Kumar said. “I think it could lead to a lot of new problems that we’re not even thinking about right now.”

Action News spoke with Dante Robinson, one of the two men arrested at the Center City Starbucks on 18th and Spruce in 2018.

We asked for his thoughts on the new policy. He declined to comment on the new policy, saying he had moved on from the situation. He and the other man who was arrested, Rashon Nelson, reached a settlement with Starbucks and the city of Philadelphia.

As for Starbucks’ new policy requiring customers to purchase something to use the restroom or hang out in the dining area, stores may soon post signs detailing the new code of conduct for customers.