A woman says Starbucks employees told her to make a purchase within five minutes or leave after she sat down at the coffee shop.
In a video with over 611,000 views reposted by @sheistyshorts, a woman complained that Starbucks was kicking her out for not making a food or beverage purchase.
“I’m just sitting right here. I haven’t made a decision on what I want to purchase,” she said. The woman in the video then said, “This guy, Michael, comes up to me, and he tells me I have five to 10 minutes to make a purchase. He proceeds to come over here with a tablet, forcing me to make a purchase.”
“Where are the corporate people at?” she asked.
“Yesterday I got a lavender matcha. A venti,” she explained, using it as a reason for wanting to use the Starbucks as a study spot. “Now I feel like I’m being harassed.”
Starbucks changed its policy
What the woman didn’t know was that Starbucks changed its company-wide policies on Jan. 13, 2025. The company no longer allows customers to “hang out” without making a purchase.
@shegotflows2 wrote in a comment, “Starbucks changed their rules… You’re loitering if you’re not making a purchase. If they [call the police for trespassing], then you won’t be able to come back.”
The change comes as Starbucks introduces a new slew of policies, which include some positives like an expanded free refill policy and handwritten names on the cups. It also included some cons, like a somewhat downsized menu. Recently, Starbucks has tried to usher in a new era of prestige by making its retail store locations more inviting. With that, however, comes the additional expectation that you pay your way into that welcoming environment.
Many people considered the change to be alienating, with some X commenters, like @arianaunext, saying, “Starbucks, you are already on thin ice. Way to put yourself on thinner.”
@sheistyshorts So now what?#funny #xyzbca #viral #fypシ #fypage #fyp #starbucks #foryoupage #kickedout ♬ original sound – sheistyshorts
Other X users agreed with the decision at the time. @joe4deadcat wrote, “Most predictable decision ever. You can’t run a business by supplying free internet to non-customers who occupy tables meant for actual customers.
The Mary Sue has reached out to Starbucks for comment. The Mary Sue was unable to reach out to the original content creator.
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