After the Starbucks incident this weekend my H and I were talking about the Starbucks policy that you need to make a purchase to use their bathrooms.
I admit that I have used the Starbucks bathrooms without buying anything and no one has ever said anything. If I’m on the road, I use bathrooms at McDonald’s or gas stations and don’t buy anything. I’ve never even thought about it. I will use Starbucks because the bathrooms are usually clean. So are most McDonald’s.
I use restrooms in places when I travel, without making purchases, if the business allows it. If a business chooses to allow only paying customers to use the bathroom, that’s fine, but it should do so without discriminating.
Yep, sure have used the facilities without buying. But as others said, often I buy and don’t use the facilities. There are times though that I’ve needed the bathroom badly and if I needed to buy something (afterwards) it would be worth the price!!!
It depends. If it’s a fast food restaurant I usually get coffee or a small drink after I use their restroom. Bigger places like department stores or hotel lobby restroom, then no.
The Starbucks all around me require you to purchase before using the restroom. I didn’t realize it was not like that everywhere—there are keypads on the doors and an employee to monitor so you don’t form a line without paying. It seems extreme but I think it has to do with a high homeless population.
I generally don’t purchase anything unless I have to. There are plenty of customers who don’t use it so it’ll even out,
If it’s a gas station or restaurant, I usually make a purchase. Once in a while, I’ll use a McDonald’s bathroom without making a purchase, but I feel somewhat justified in that McDonald’s is practically a public place. I don’t eat there often, but do drive through enough that I don’t feel guilty if once a year I use the bathroom without making a purchase.
If it’s a Staples or Department store, I don’t feel compelled to make a purchase.
I’ve done it, but I do worry when I do that they will notice and say something. Usually I stop to buy gas or food and go then anyway, or try to stop at a rest area.
Interesting that the Starbucks has a pin pad to enter @OhWhatsHerName. I think I’ve seen that but didn’t need a code to enter. The bathroom was already open.
I do wonder if Starbucks will change their policy now.
Are there other fast food places that you can think of that have signs saying they require a purchase to use the restroom?
“The Starbucks all around me require you to purchase before using the restroom. I didn’t realize it was not like that everywhere—there are keypads on the doors and an employee to monitor so you don’t form a line without paying. It seems extreme but I think it has to do with a high homeless population.”
I could argue both sides of this policy because I do realize that in densely populated areas whether it is homeless or others, it could be an issue with people camping out or heavy usage without being paying customers. I’ve seen the same contrast between my not big city area (no business locks their bathrooms) and urban areas I spend time in including Philly. It is definitely not a company wide policy on the part of Stabucks or if it is it isn’t enforced.
Generally, I don’t make a purchase unless there is a sign explicitly saying that restrooms are for customers only on the door. Then I will but again it is in cities that I see this (and often I’ve seen it in Europe, too). Sometimes, I make a purchase anyway just because I happen to want something but not usually.
The difference to me is I’ve actually been in Starbucks in Philly to use the restroom and asked for the key or code and don’t remember seeing a sign that said customers only when shopping with a family member at a boutique down the street. Nobody asked me to make a purchase. I do think because I am a white woman of a certain age, I get cut a lot of slack in that area.
Yes. If it feels too awkward (e.g., walking through the whole restaurant or store to get to the bathroom), or if an employee were to say something about the restrooms being for customers (I actually never had anyone comment to me), then I would buy something inexpensive, like a bottle of water. Once, after I bought a bottle of water at a pizzeria, the store owner saw me go to the bathroom and said, “You know, you didn’t have to buy the water. I would have let you use the bathroom!”
I see both sides of it. I work for a large retail company and you would not even believe some of the things that go on in our rest rooms- and our stores are largely in rural or suburban areas outside of major cities. It can be a real problem. We certainly allow people to use our facilities without making a purchase, but there are certainly problems. It is especially a concern where there is a homeless population or a drug problem.
I walked into a Starbucks in downtown Denver fully intending to purchase and work there - I had my computer bag and all…but, I had to pee first! Really needed to! I got in line and told the first employee that I intended to purchase a beverage but I need to use the restroom first. (they did have signs on the door and there was a keypad). She really made me feel kind of bad for asking -like she didn’t believe me! I did purchase a delicious beverage afterwards - and they ended up giving it to me for free because their app where I had $$$ to use wasn’t working. But that one employee, made me feel bad!
Sure, I sometimes use a Starbucks bathroom without a purchase, however, I’m probably vacating what I put in my body from the Starbucks I went to earlier in the day. And I don’t purchase first, because I don’t want to leave my drink outside or bring it in the bathroom. Never once been questioned, that I can remember, probably because I look like their typical middle aged customer, coffee stains on my jacket and all.
I thought this is what McDonalds was for – although I also like the Egg McMuffins. However, I usually buy those at the drive-through. If I actually go into the restaurant, it’s to use the bathroom.
The cleanest public bathroom in our community is the one at the public library. You could eat off the floor. And no purchase is necessary!
All the time, including Nordstrom today. While traveling - any fast food bathroom will do - sometimes we purchase a snack - sometimes not. I truly thought it was an acceptable practice. I cannot recall any time I have been stopped or questioned.
I’ll be the dissenter. My parents taught me to always buy something from a place where I want to use the bathroom since that business owner needs to pay for the water, sewer, electric, etc, so I do and have taught my lads to do the same. We buy gas at gas stations (sometimes some small snack items as well) and food items elsewhere (fast food or whatever). Not being a coffee drinker, I’ve never been to a Starbucks.
The only place we don’t buy something is at public rest stops along highways or in National/State Parks. I figure taxes pay for their water, sewer, and electric.
But that one employee, made me feel bad!