Will Starbucks become America's largest chain of homeless shelters?

[IsailedawayfromFR]

When two young African-American men were arrested in April when they allegedly refused to leave a Philadelphia Starbucks after being told they couldn’t use a restroom because they hadn’t purchased anything, the company was attacked and accused of racism by left-wing groups and in the media.

The assumption – never backed up with any evidence – was that the two men were targeted because they are black, and that two white men behaving in exactly the same manner would have been allowed to go to the restroom without incident and stay in the cafe without buying anything.
Finding itself in a hole, Starbucks’ management, which has a long history of supporting left-wing causes, decided to bow to political correctness, defy common sense and dig itself a deeper hole.

When the Philadelphia kerfuffle finally died down, Starbucks issued a new policy on “non-paying customers” (how can you be a customer without buying anything?) that is intellectually incoherent.
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2018/05/23/will-starbucks-become-americas-largest-chain-homeless-shelters.html

The most basic business principle is that you need to have customers who buy your product.

Starbucks has created a business model doomed for failure.

[Applewood]

Starbucks is one company I would not weep over if it went under.  Its coffee sucks and is overpriced.  Now that the company is going to cater to certain groups to the exclusion of others, it deserves whatever adverse financial consequences it experiences. 

[truth_seeker]

I rarely go to SB (nasty coffee) but my wife enjoys a couple of their drinks.

She said they have posted a Ten Point letter of rules and conduct. (Nothing explicitly stating a must-buy-something policy, and nothing explicitly prohibiting loitering, either)

But the list is intended to warn patrons to behave well, lest they break some rule.

I can go to one of three coffee shops within 1.5 miles, all Asian owned and operated. Ordinary coffee,, and assorted donuts and pastries.   

Owner probably has bag or box of day old donuts, if homeless come around. She gives homeless dry donut, and says: "You go now."

[darroll]

With this, the homeless are here to stay.

[WingNot]

Starbucks is one company I would not weep over if it went under.  Its coffee sucks and is overpriced.  Now that the company is going to cater to certain groups to the exclusion of others, it deserves whatever adverse financial consequences it experiences.

I can't believe they have gone as far as they have selling cups of over priced poseur juice to hipsters and millennial snowflakes.

[Applewood]

I can't believe they have gone as far as they have selling cups of over priced poseur juice to hipsters and millennial snowflakes.

Liberals love the place.  I am surrounded by liberals in real life, so I can't avoid having them among family and friends.  They always want to go to Starbucks.  Makes them feel so cool.  One of my friends in particular is still living the hippie dream.  When we used to take classes together on Saturdays, she always wanted to stop at Starbucks.  I notice though that now she is retired and depemdent on Social Security, she isn't so enamored with Starbucks anymore.  There are plenty of places that serve better, cheaper coffee (McDonalds, for example) or you can make your own coffee at home. 

[Silver Pines]

Might as well as far as I'm concerned.  I'm not into burned coffee.  I can go to my favorite local place, Joe Beans, or to Dunkin Donuts.

Or best of all, home, where my husband brews Dunkin strong enough to walk.

[goatprairie]

Liberals love the place.  I am surrounded by liberals in real life, so I can't avoid having them among family and friends.  They always want to go to Starbucks.  Makes them feel so cool.  One of my friends in particular is still living the hippie dream.  When we used to take classes together on Saturdays, she always wanted to stop at Starbucks.  I notice though that now she is retired and depemdent on Social Security, she isn't so enamored with Starbucks anymore.  There are plenty of places that serve better, cheaper coffee (McDonalds, for example) or you can make your own coffee at home.

Where we live the local Starbucks always has customers. We sometimes eat at a restaurant right across the street from SBs.  From our perch we usually see an endless line of cars going through the drive-up every time we eat at the restaurant.
The line the other day was so long,  some SBs customers just parked their cars in the parking lot and went in and ordered. They got their brew before the people in the drive-through. My wife was watching, so that's how we knew.
This SBs is located in a  mall setting a good distance from the not so big city. Few transients around.
I don't drink coffee, so you'll never see me in a SBs or any coffee shop for that matter.
But from the lines we see purchasing their brew, it appears the local SBs does very well.

[truth_seeker]

Or best of all, home, where my husband brews Dunkin strong enough to walk.

My wife mostly gets iced coffee or lattes at SB, but not me.

We both like home brew coffee and get "Joe's Dark" from Trader Joe's.

[Hoodat]

Might as well as far as I'm concerned.  I'm not into burned coffee.

Char-bucks

[debrawiest]

SB coffee is awful, but their pumpkin scones......mmmmmm