Does Starbucks have charging ports in every store?

A social media post about a Nanjing Starbucks sealing the power outlets under its sofa seats drew wide discussion. The store and Starbucks customer service responded that the company does not mandate outlet installation and that each store decides based on operating conditions. Supporters say it frees seats for paying customers, while opponents worry about people who work in stores.

Starbucks has long promoted the third space, and outlets, comfortable seating, and a work-friendly setting are part of that identity for students and office workers. If customer areas lose charging access, some of those visitors may stay shorter or go elsewhere, raising the question of how coffee brands balance seat turnover against the in-store experience.

Recently, a post about Starbucks removing charging outlets in customer areas sparked widespread discussion on social media. Some netizens reported that a Starbucks store in Nanjing had sealed off the power outlets under sofa seats, questioning whether the brand was tightening in-store services. Supporters believe this move can reduce seat occupancy by non-customers, while opponents worry it will affect the in-store experience of people who work there. In response, media contacted the store involved and Starbucks customer service, and received the response that the company does not mandate the installation of outlets, and each store decides on its own based on actual operating conditions. This article will sort through the incident from beginning to end, present views from all sides, and explore the trade-offs coffee brands face in operating the third space.

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Recently, a post on social media titled "Starbucks Takes Action: Removing Phone Charging Outlets" attracted widespread attention and discussion among netizens.

The poster found that the Starbucks store at Nanjing International Finance Center had removed the power outlets at the bottom of the sofa seats in the customer area. From the pictures accompanying the post, it can be clearly seen that the outlets under the seats have been sealed and can no longer be used normally. Although it is impossible to determine whether this practice is limited to only one store, the post quickly triggered widespread discussion after it was published.

In public perception, Starbucks has always used the "third space" as its selling point, and office workers and students are often seen working and studying in its stores. They usually use the in-store outlets to charge laptops, tablets, phones, and other devices. Once a store removes the outlets, it undoubtedly shuts out some consumers who need to use electronic devices, so many netizens felt very puzzled after learning about this.

In their view, compared with peers, Starbucks's comfortable seating, charging outlets, and environment suitable for working are all part of its brand characteristics. If the customer seating area removes charging outlets, it will more or less affect customers' in-store experience. Many people even said bluntly: "Doesn't this price already include the venue fee? If a coffee costs more than 40 yuan and you won't let people sit for a while and do some work, who would buy it?" "If I can't charge, why wouldn't I drink Luckin?" "Once the power is removed, I really won't go."

But another group of consumers supports the stores removing charging outlets. They point out that because Starbucks provides free charging outlets, passersby who do not make purchases often occupy seats in the store to charge their electronic devices, leaving customers who actually buy coffee with nowhere to sit. "Pretty good, a lot of people come in and sit for a whole day without buying anything." "They should have removed them long ago. Many people plug in laptops to charge, and even bring their own thermos."

However, some people believe that it is understandable for Starbucks to remove outlets to prevent non-customers from occupying seats for long periods, but directly eliminating them will inevitably cause trouble for other customers who need to charge and also affect consumers' in-store experience. Some suggest "outlets should be powered by scanning a consumption code," which would both keep the charging outlets and reduce the phenomenon of people mooching electricity and occupying seats.

On January 13, a reporter from Jingchu Net Live called the Starbucks Nanjing International Finance Center store as a consumer. The store manager introduced that the store had not recently removed the power outlets in the customer area. According to the manager's understanding, this store had not installed power outlets in the customer area since it opened, mainly because the store is located on the mezzanine floor of a shopping mall and the site does not have the conditions to install outlets in the customer area.

In addition, the store manager explained that the store underwent renovation in 2025, and the sofa seats currently used in the store were transferred from other stores, not the original seats of this store, so charging outlet boxes remain under the chairs.

On the same day, the reporter called the Starbucks service hotline. A staff member said that the company does not mandate that stores install power outlets, and whether to install power outlets depends on the actual situation of the store, "stores decide whether to install outlets based on their own specific operating conditions."

Image source: Xiaohongshu

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