Starbucks Expels On-Duty Police Officers: Police Eating at Starbucks Entrance Affects Brand Image

Controversy Over Police Officers Eating at Starbucks Entrance

Last night, a screenshot from WeChat Moments went viral on Weibo:

Many people who saw it had the same reaction: speechless. However, the follow-up to this incident directly caused netizens to "explode."

Due to it being a weekend, the tourist attraction Ciqikou Ancient Town in Chongqing had a large number of visitors. The local jurisdiction deployed additional police officers to maintain order and serve citizens, with most stationed near the tourist center and popular attractions. By lunchtime, the police officers, perhaps worried about insufficient manpower if they left to eat, sat at the outdoor tables and chairs of Starbucks next to the Ciqikou Tourist Center to have their meal, hoping citizens could see them immediately for help if needed.

Halfway through their meal, Starbucks staff came out and asked: "Can you eat somewhere else? You're affecting our brand image this way." The police officers were helpless and finished their meal quickly. Before leaving, they cleaned the table spotlessly, leaving no trash behind. However, Starbucks staff called the relevant departments to complain about the on-duty police officers eating at their store entrance.

Public Reaction and Police Regulations

Why did Starbucks staff believe that on-duty police officers eating at the entrance would affect Starbucks' brand image? A prominent netizen commented and also shared an excerpt from the "Internal Service Regulations of People's Police of Public Security Organs":

They also questioned a Weibo post by a police officer:

The questioned police officer responded as follows:

Other police officers also explained why police would eat boxed meals by the roadside:

Fact-Checking and Misinformation

While netizens were heatedly debating whether it was appropriate/decent for on-duty police officers to eat boxed meals in public, sharp-eyed netizens discovered that Article 17 of the "Internal Service Regulations of People's Police of Public Security Organs" excerpt posted by the prominent netizen was not accurate!

The prominent netizen had actually excerpted from the "Provisions on the Management of Police Uniforms of Public Security Organs" and pieced together multiple provisions to form a so-called "excerpt from the Internal Service Regulations of People's Police of Public Security Organs." Regardless of other issues, this prominent netizen should prepare for the public security department to invite them for "coffee."

Public Outrage and Corporate Response

Other netizens also commented on the incident of "Starbucks staff believing that on-duty police officers eating at Starbucks entrance would affect brand image":

Regarding this incident, Starbucks customer service stated: "We are verifying with the involved store, and if confirmed, we will discipline the involved employees..." They also stated that Starbucks has no regulations prohibiting eating at the store entrance. Meanwhile, a Weibo post by someone claiming to be present appeared in the comments section:

Netizens raised several questions about this Weibo post: If they had properly asked and guided them to eat elsewhere, why complain? Does Starbucks provide dining places for public servants? Was it customers who asked Starbucks staff to "discourage" the police, or was it the Starbucks staff's own idea?

Previous Similar Incidents

Similar incidents have occurred both abroad and domestically. In July 2019, Starbucks in the United States also publicly apologized for asking police officers drinking coffee in the store to leave, with the reason being that the police made customers feel "unsafe." In August 2021, Starbucks at Songshan Wanda also "discouraged" police officers for "fearing it would affect brand image."

As of the time of writing, Starbucks China/official has not yet made any statement on this incident.

Image source: Weibo, Internet

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