Operations
Starbucks may flip bathroom policy due to public mental health issues
June 10, 2022
After four years of opening its once-closed bathroom facilities to the public, Starbucks is considering reversing the policy, citing increasing mental health problems among the public that is posing a threat to employees and customers.
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, who recently stepped back into the chief leadership role in an interim fashion, made the statements at a New York Times DealBook conference in Washington, D.C. Thursday night, according to a CNN report.
The brand opened its bathrooms to the public in 2018 following an incident in which a store prevented two Black men from using a bathroom — an act that led to public protests and not so great publicity.
"We have to harden our stores and provide safety for our people," Schultz said during the conference, according to the New York Times. "I don't know if we can keep our bathrooms open."
Related Media
Subscribe
Get the latest news and resources from Fast Casual.
