PrintStarbucks decides to turn its cafes into homeless shelters
When people go into a Starbucks, often the first thing they smell is roasting coffee. That's about to change. Starbucks, stung by phony charges of racism when two black men were arrested for camping out in a Starbucks without making a purchase, has changed its official policies.
From now on, not only is anyone welcome to use a Starbucks bathroom without making a purchase, but the public is also welcome to come in and sit at tables and never buy anything.
The implications of this are obvious. Some people will use tables as personal offices and never purchase anything. Table space, already at a premium, will be largely unavailable for paying customers. What will that do for sales?
But even worse, in urban areas which have large homeless populations, guess who will come in and camp all day?
The unpleasant appearance of the homeless, combined with their smell, will drive customers out of Starbucks. I am convinced that this will be the end of Starbucks. This is a gross overreaction to the arrest of two black men.
Companies typically do lip service to perversity that doesn't affect the bottom line in a major way--allowing men in women's bathrooms, forcing employees to go through diversity training, giving money to racial hustlers, and so on. But this policy change will destroy Starbucks. How can it not?
Starbucks says it is treating "non-paying guests" as "customers". How out of touch is that?
Here's some reaction from Twitter:
Cool, all homeless can now hang at Starbucks and free up public library space. Woot!
Starbucks? That's a funny name for a homeless shelter. https://t.co/3xxnbN5laR
— Erik Block (@brutishfossil) May 20, 2018
Oh, man! The homeless of Seattle are gonna love Starbucks this coming winter.
— Timothy Schlink (@Tim196th) May 20, 2018
Exit question:
Which will happen first, (A) Starbucks will close, (B) management will change the policy, or (C) management will be replaced?
Ed Straker is the senior writer at Newsmachete.com.
