Starbucks will be installing “panic buttons” at a number of locations to help staff non-confrontationally kick out customers who overstay their welcome or others who are simply loitering, according to a report.
The java giant has instituted a new set of store rules under freshly minted CEO Brian Niccol targeting patrons who have spent an inordinate amount of time on laptops or people who are lounging around without making a purchase, according to the Telegraph.
“Panic buttons” have been installed in a handful of stores in a trial period to see if they help keep the locations safe and comfortable for the latte-lovers who are bigger spenders, the report said.
The phenomenon of “laptop lurkers” and other folks who exploit Starbuck’s free Wi-Fi, free store bathrooms or simply set up shop at a table without purchasing more than a cup of coffee.
Starbucks has not made clear just how the buttons will work — whether they will alert law enforcement or simply alert staffers.
However, it is clear that under the new leadership of CEO Brian Niccols, amenities will no longer be free.
That means that customers will not be allowed to use the bathrooms without opening their wallets.
Starbucks instituted an “open door” stance in 2018, following an incident in which two men were wrongfully arrested in a Philadelphia store location where they were holding a business meeting.
Niccol, who was awarded $96M as part of his pay package when hopping aboard Starbucks, outlined the new policy to staffers in an attempt to return the coffee chain to its cafe-culture roots.
Niccol, the former Chipotle CEO, is also shaking up the company on the corporate end — announcing last week that layoffs will be coming for office workers.
“Our size and structure can slow us down, with too many layers, managers of small teams and roles focused primarily on coordinating work,” Niccol wrote in a publicly shared internal letter.
“It can feel transactional, menus can feel overwhelming, the product is inconsistent, the wait for too long or the hand-off too hectic. These moments are opportunities for us to do better,” Niccols emphasized.
Starbucks did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.
