Starbucks China Apologizes for Incident Involving Police Officers, Claims Misunderstanding

Last night, a message on social media claimed that police officers on duty at the Ciqikou Ancient Town tourist attraction in Chongqing were asked to leave while eating outside a Starbucks. According to online reports, the reason for asking them to leave was that Starbucks employees were concerned that the police officers eating at the entrance would negatively impact Starbucks' brand image, and they filed a complaint against the officers after they left. This incident quickly gained widespread attention from netizens and immediately became a trending topic on Sina Weibo today. On the evening of the 14th, Starbucks China had to respond to netizens' concerns on Weibo, and within an hour of posting the response, it received over 10,000 comments.

Starbucks stated that after investigation, the facts are as follows: Around 5 PM on February 13th, four police officers came to the store, and the store arranged for them to dine in the outdoor customer area. Later, because other customers wished to dine in the outdoor customer area, a communication misunderstanding occurred when store partners were coordinating seating with the officers involved due to inappropriate language, for which we apologize. However, during the incident, there was no situation of "expelling police officers" or "complaining about police officers" as rumored online. Starbucks has always been committed to being rooted in and serving the community. Our stores have always maintained good communication with local police and have received strong support from them. Starbucks, as always, welcomes every customer.

Public Skepticism and Response

Starbucks' response partially confirmed the authenticity of the previously rumored information – that "something" did happen between on-duty police officers and Starbucks employees. However, Starbucks denied that there was any "expulsion of police officers" or "complaint against police officers," and also explained that the store had arranged for the officers to dine in the outdoor customer area because other customers wished to dine outdoors, and a "misunderstanding" occurred when "store partners" were coordinating seating with the officers. From the information Starbucks has released so far, the public cannot determine the specific reasons behind the transition from "arrangement" to "misunderstanding," but clearly, this explanation has not convinced netizens.

Under Starbucks' Weibo post, many netizens expressed skepticism. Some commented, "So when there are no seats, you can still 'coordinate'?" Others commented, "Putting everything else aside, would ordinary customers really argue with police over seats? Would they go to the staff and say 'I want to sit there, go drive the police away'?" However, Starbucks did not respond to these questions on its Weibo. Local police have not responded to this incident, but a police officer from a friend of Coffee Workshop shared this news on their social media, commenting on the share from a colleague with just four words: "Will not go again."

Company Response and Investigation

According to a report by Caixin.com, Starbucks customer service responded to media inquiries earlier today, stating that they are aware of this incident and are verifying and handling the matter with the relevant store. If confirmed, the employees involved will be disciplined. Customer service also emphasized that Starbucks has no regulation prohibiting eating at the entrance of their stores.

On the afternoon of the 14th, the Ciqikou Management Committee stated that leadership is taking this matter seriously and has launched an investigation. Some netizens reported that the Starbucks at Chongqing's Ciqikou was closed with its doors tightly shut today. Starbucks did not confirm this news, and later in the afternoon, other netizens visited the store and found it had resumed business.

Previous Similar Incidents

Previously, on July 4, 2019, a similar incident occurred at a Starbucks in the United States, where a Starbucks employee asked six police officers drinking coffee inside the store to leave, with the reason being that the presence of police made customers inside feel "unsafe." Afterward, the police department in the officers' jurisdiction posted a statement saying: "Although the barista was polite, ultimately making such a request is offensive."

Three days later, Starbucks issued an apology for this incident. A Starbucks spokesperson stated: "We take full responsibility for any intentional or unintentional disrespect shown to law enforcement, whom we rely on every day."

Analysis and Conclusion

If ordinary consumers come to the store without making a purchase, most practitioners would directly communicate with those occupying seats. If practitioners claim it's "affecting the brand image" as a reason, it would be difficult to avoid problems. This applies to ordinary consumers, but law enforcement officers in the city are unlikely to be treated equally, as practitioners generally provide them with more convenience.

This is especially true for police officers on duty during holidays, who are often deployed from other jurisdictions or temporarily transferred and may not have corresponding logistical arrangements. During their work hours, they cannot stay for extended periods, and the impact they cause is not significant. As mentioned in Starbucks' response, this was originally part of coffee shop practitioners' "rooting in the community and serving the community," and would be a consensus among many practitioners. But it ultimately turned into a misunderstanding and even became a topic of concern for netizens, which is somewhat surprising.

Image source: Internet, Weibo

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