A group of friends walk into Starbucks, order their drinks and look around only to find that there is nowhere to sit. Each table is filled with people and their textbooks, but few have accompanying drinks.
On Jan. 27, Starbucks implemented global policies cracking down on loitering in their stores, stating that a person would have to purchase something first to study in their store or use their bathrooms.
It is not something that is groundbreaking or new for restaurants and cafes to enforce. Most large corporations have these rules set in place to ensure enough space for paying customers to have a seat and maximize revenue.
People are quick to detest this change, but I think this is simply because there has been one at all. If you go into Starbucks and buy a single water, this does not affect you in any harmful way which is what most fail to realize.
CHS students should jump for joy at the new policies given what it will grant customers who stay in the store for extended periods.
It will provide you free refills when you order your drink in-store in the same size you ordered it in, which is an amazing pull factor when cafés are where people go for job interviews, study sessions and even tense confrontations.
Even if you are not using those spaces to linger, if you are a stressed student, you are bound to need a sweet treat after school every now and again, which, given the proximity, makes places like Starbucks a quick and easy option.
The policies were initially drafted because of the decline in sales, likely following the boycott of companies who allegedly supported the Israeli government during the Israel-Hamas war.
These new policies should be common knowledge. There are not very many places aside from your home where you will be allowed to sit for hours without making a purchase. Going to a place and buying an item is what makes the experience different from studying at home.
Starbucks is allowing for leniency as their policies are still new to the public and expect to view each circumstance on a case-by-case basis. Therefore, there is not a set amount of time that you can be in the store before they ask you to leave.
Making the rules of their store clear to their customers is a good way to address loitering issues in third-party spaces, especially when so many of their customers are students. CHS students should not be alarmed or deterred by this new policy. After all, what coffee-addled teens could say no to free refills in a cool hangout?
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