The New York Times this morning reports that Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is saying that the company may end its open bathroom policy, which allows anyone to use its rest rooms even if they are not customers, saying that growing mental health problems in the US are creating safety issues that put employees at risk.
The Times writes that "the move would reverse a policy Starbucks instituted in 2018 in the wake of the arrest of two Black men in one of its Philadelphia stores. The two men had been reported to the police by a Starbucks employee after they were denied use of the store’s bathroom and asked to leave. They hadn’t made a purchase.
"At the time, Starbucks announced that 'any customer is welcome to use Starbucks spaces, including our restrooms, cafes and patios, regardless of whether they make a purchase'."
