What Does the Starbucks Seating Dispute Say About Coffee Spaces?

At a Starbucks store in Baolong Plaza, Shengzhou, Shaoxing, Zhejiang, several elderly people occupied the outdoor seating for long periods, chatting, playing cards and mahjong and refusing to leave. After repeated requests failed, staff called the police, who mediated. Most of the group left the same day.

The mall said it had talked with relevant departments and planned to guide the elderly to a senior service center. Lawyers noted that loud noise or card games that disturb others may violate the Public Security Administration Punishments Law. The case has renewed discussion of order in street coffee spaces and of china and coffee shop management.

Recently, an outdoor seating area of a Starbucks store in Baolong Plaza, Shengzhou, Shaoxing, Zhejiang, was occupied by several elderly people for a long time. They not only chatted and rested there, but also gathered to play cards and mahjong, making noise and refusing to give up their seats, seriously disrupting the store's normal operations and other customers' experience. After repeated attempts to persuade them to leave failed, the staff chose to call the police. Police arrived to mediate, and most of the elderly people left that day. The mall said it had communicated with relevant departments and planned to guide these elderly people to a senior service center to rest. The incident sparked heated discussion online, with most people supporting the store's move to maintain business order. Lawyers also pointed out that if the elderly people make loud noises or play cards in a way that affects others, they may violate the Public Security Administration Punishments Law. As a well-known coffee brand, Starbucks' store order management has once again become a focus of public attention. Front Street Coffee reminds consumers to enjoy coffee spaces in a civilized manner.

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According to Zonglan News, a netizen posted a video showing that outside a Starbucks store in Baolong Plaza, Shengzhou, Shaoxing, Zhejiang, staff and police officers were communicating with several elderly people, hoping they would not linger for long periods.

In the video, the outdoor seats of this Starbucks were almost completely filled by elderly people living nearby. A person familiar with the matter revealed that when passing the store, they happened to witness staff and police persuading these elderly people, who often occupied seats, to leave, believing that this behavior had a negative impact on the store.

A media reporter subsequently verified the situation with the store's employees. The staff confirmed that it was true and explained that if customers or passersby needed a short rest, they were allowed to sit for a while in the outdoor seating area at the store entrance, and sometimes water and tissues were provided depending on the situation.

However, these elderly people who occupied the outdoor seats for long periods not only chatted with neighbors about daily matters, but also treated the area as their own leisure and entertainment base. Like-minded elderly people gathered to play mahjong and cards, and the noise they produced seriously disturbed regular customers. Employees also said that during this period, when paying customers wanted to sit and rest in the outdoor seating area, most of the elderly people refused to give up their seats.

The employees admitted that the outdoor seating area at the store entrance was also a business premises. The elderly people's behavior of occupying seats for long periods without spending caused them great trouble and also harmed the store's image and normal operations. They had repeatedly persuaded the elderly people to leave, and conflicts had even occurred, but with little effect. The elderly people who ignored the persuasion still often gathered in the outdoor seating area, making noise and entertaining themselves.

With no other option, Starbucks employees could only choose to call the police. After police mediation, most of the elderly people followed the advice and left the scene that day.

A staff member at the mall also confirmed that these elderly men and women often played cards and mahjong in the area on ordinary days. The mall staff member said that if the elderly people were only sitting, chatting, and resting, the mall had no right to interfere, and order in the outdoor seating area needed to be maintained and guided by Starbucks employees themselves.

However, the elderly people's behavior had already affected the normal operations of the merchants, so the mall had communicated with relevant departments and planned to guide the elderly people to a senior service center to rest, thereby resolving the conflict between the staff and the elderly people.

After the video was posted, it attracted widespread attention and heated discussion among netizens. After learning what happened, most people supported the Starbucks employees' approach. Some consumers believed that the elderly people's behavior of occupying seats and playing cards in the outdoor seating area would give other guests a bad impression and affect the experience of normal consumers. The employees' approach of seeking police assistance and negotiating to persuade the elderly people to leave in order to maintain the store's image and normal operations was reasonable.

A lawyer also said that it is not illegal for elderly people to sit in a business venue, but if they make loud noises or even play cards and mahjong, it may affect others and even affect the normal operation of the business, and may violate Article 23 of the Public Security Administration Punishments Law of the People's Republic of China.

In addition, the lawyer said that the seats at the entrance of Starbucks are meant to serve customers inside the store. If elderly people occupy the seats for a long time to play mahjong, businesses can call the police and coordinate through the police.

Image source: Internet

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