Starbucks has a new bathroom policy following the uproar when two African-American men were arrested in Philadelphia after a manager at the coffee chain called police because they asked to use the restroom and refused to make a purchase or leave. Starbucks’s executive chairman Howard Schultz made the announcement while speaking at the Atlantic Council in Washington, D.C. He explained that "we don't want to become a public bathroom, but we're going to make the right decision 100 percent of the time and give people the key."
He said the reason for the new policy is "because we don't want anyone at Starbucks to feel as if we are not giving access to you to the bathroom because you are 'less than.' We want you to be 'more than.'"
Schultz pointed out that Starbucks had "kind of a loose policy around, 'you should be able to use the bathroom if you buy something,'" but added that it was ultimately up to "the judgment of the manager."
Following the arrest of the two men in Philadelphia Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson announced that all Starbucks across the country will close on May 29th to conduct racial bias training.
Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson, the two men who were arrested, settled their lawsuit with the city of Philadelphia for $1.
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