Where Does Coffee Grow and Why Do Cafe Seats Matter?

Starbucks is asking non-purchasing customers to leave some stores, according to reports from customers who say staff repeatedly urged them to order. The company has long built its brand on the third place idea, welcoming people to sit whether or not they buy. Supporters say the move protects seating for paying guests, while critics say it damages the brand.

Customer service has said all stores welcome customers to sit regardless of purchase. The friction comes as more people use cafes for studying, work, and socializing, so paying members report seats taken by non-consumers. Many of the beans behind those drinks, from Latin America to Asia, come from farms where coffee grows in highland regions with steady rainfall and volcanic soil.

Starbucks has long positioned the "third space" as its brand core, offering customers a place to study, work, and socialize. However, as the phenomenon of occupying seats without making a purchase becomes increasingly common, many paying members report that store seating is taken up by non-consumers, greatly diminishing their experience. Recently, some netizens revealed that certain stores have begun "politely asking" non-purchasing customers to leave, requiring that anyone taking a seat must place an order, sparking widespread discussion. Supporters believe this helps maintain operational order, while opponents worry it damages the brand image. Starbucks customer service responded that all stores welcome customers to sit regardless of whether they make a purchase. How will this debate over the boundaries of the "third space" ultimately affect Starbucks' future direction?

▲

Click to follow | Daily specialty coffee culture magazine Coffee Workshop

Unlike many chain coffee brands, Starbucks has always made the "third space" its core selling point, committed to creating a comfortable environment where customers can study, work, and socialize. In recent years, however, customers have discovered many new uses for this "third space"—a gathering spot for Go enthusiasts, a study room for parents accompanying children doing homework, a place for retirees to chat about everyday life...

As more and more people treat Starbucks as a free public space, the phenomenon of sitting without purchasing has become increasingly common. Many netizens complain that some stores are packed with passersby who haven't ordered, while paying members cannot find an empty seat.

Perhaps the growing number of such complaints has drawn Starbucks' attention. Recently, a netizen posted on social media that if you don't make a purchase in-store, staff will "politely ask you to leave," a stark departure from the previous practice of "sitting without purchasing."

"A few days ago I saw it said you could sit without purchasing, but in reality you can't—they'll shoo you away, like constantly coming to ask you to order," this netizen said, explaining that they only wanted to sit briefly and hadn't made a purchase. But because staff came by every few minutes to "urge them to order," they didn't dare stay long and could only get up and leave.

Another netizen reported a similar experience, saying they were told Starbucks' latest rule is that customers must order upon sitting down. Many others in the comments said that when they sat down without ordering, staff repeatedly "urged them to order," and some even claimed they were asked to leave while drinking Luckin Coffee inside Starbucks.

A Starbucks employee revealed that many stores nationwide have recently begun enforcing the new "polite ask-to-leave" rule, requiring staff to proactively approach non-purchasing customers during floor patrols and "urge them to order."

Previously, Starbucks had no mandatory purchase requirement for seating, leading to large numbers of non-purchasing passersby occupying seats. This not only left paying customers with nowhere to sit, but also affected other guests through uncivil behaviors such as playing phone audio out loud or one person occupying multiple seats. Many members complained about this, and some reported it to the brand through surveys and other means, but with little effect.

Therefore, supporters generally believe that as a commercial establishment, Starbucks' requirement of "purchase to sit" is not unreasonable, and it can also deter some non-purchasing seat-occupiers, improving the store environment and service quality, thereby attracting genuinely paying members to come in and buy, boosting store sales.

However, there are also many who oppose Starbucks' "polite ask-to-leave" approach. In their view, if Starbucks, which sells itself on the "third space," turns people away just because they haven't made a purchase, it may shut out potential customers as well, damaging the brand image and equally harming store performance.

Just as netizens were divided on the matter, a reporter from JingShi Live contacted Starbucks customer service the day before yesterday. The representative told the reporter that all Starbucks stores welcome customers to sit regardless of whether they make a purchase. If customers encounter "polite ask-to-leave" situations in-store, they can provide feedback. Additionally, the representative explicitly stated that they had not received any notice about "polite ask-to-leave" and had never heard of such a practice.

Image source: Internet

Disclaimer: Some images in this article are from the internet. For content on the website such as images, we respect the original copyright and will cite sources. However, due to the large volume, some images and text may not have been credited in time; please forgive us. If the original author has any disputes, they may contact the website for resolution. Once verified, we will correct it immediately. Compiled and edited by "Coffee Workshop." Please indicate the source when reposting. If there is infringement, please inform us for deletion. Thank you~!

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.