View Single Post
Old 04-22-2018, 05:26 AM   #94
OMG!WTF!
Franchise Player
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Exp:
Default

Quote:
On balance of probabilities I find that Starbucks does not kick out non-disruptive non paying customers.
This is precisely what the coffee shop business is built upon. They encourage loitering and try to get people to hang out and stay for long periods. Starbucks was literally the first business to offer free wifi in 2001 when most people were still dragging around Ethernet cables. Other chains like Subway and McDonald's design their stores in ways that make you want to slit your wrists rather than stay there thirty seconds longer than necessary. Subway even tried to copy Starbucks by building Subway Cafes....you take down the no loitering signs, unlock the bathrooms and dim the horrible horrible lights.

Starbucks knows they're not making money on every laptop hobo but in Seattle in 1990 that culture grew up, got rich fast and turned into loyal, paying customers.

If you search a bit you can find lots of articles about people getting kicked out of Starbucks for loitering. Or just being made to feel uncomfortable for not buying enough to justify their existence. When you have 25k stores you have a lot of beds to make and sleep in as well.

My favorite related story is my friends rom Toronto who was staying at the Westin in Calgary on a business trip. She was dressed wel, smoking, standing outside waiting for a cab and the doorman asked her to "take her business elsewhere" thinking she was s prostitute.
OMG!WTF! is offline   Reply With Quote