Cool Or Not Cool: Starbucks May Hire Bathroom Attendants, Require Receipts to Use Loo?

While in Istanbul for my honeymoon earlier this year, I noticed that there were a lot of Starbucks. On one occasion I desperately needed a bathroom, so I did what I do in New York: went into one of them. Imagine my surprise when I found out one needs a security code printed on a receipt to gain access. It was the one moment in which I was truly, painfully homesick.

Well, it looks like we may be taking a cue from our international friends. A new rumor claims that NYC area Starbucks will soon take similar action, either in the way of receipt codes or bathroom bouncers*.

The rational part of me understands that, if this is true, it's been a long time coming. Just like the rational part of me didn't need a former Starbucks employee to tell me that “people have sex in there and homeless people use the bathroom as their personal shower.” But my heart nor my bladder want to hear it. They've grown too accustomed -- if not straight-up entitled -- to the ubiquity of Starbucks bathrooms in NYC for use in a pinch (no pun intended). Without that safety net I foresee a lot of pain to my bladder or wallet. Mostly the latter because, let's face it, if I gotta' go, I will most likely just buy a damn drink. And that's the best case scenario.

Even worse would be if they follow the model adopted by some Starbucks in New York Lite (aka, Boston). They won't even give you a bathroom code unless you spend at least $3. Believe it or not, there are some things left on the Starbucks menu that cost less than that, so $3 is like a bathroom tax. It's not enough to charge $2 for a small cup of coffee, you need to buy a fucking latte to use the bathroom? Let's hope it doesn't come to that here.

Starbucks got in touch with the Gothamist about the matter. "We aren't closing our bathrooms in NYC or other markets,” they said, but reiterated that it was up to the store and district managers to determine how many employees they had and what they did. So if a particular store is digging this method, we might easily see bathroom bouncers in the future.                       

So: Cool or Not Cool? For me, it's a split verdict. I'll let my rational side admit it’s perfectly COOL -- albeit heart & bladder-breaking -- to take action when your bathroom becomes an hourly motel room. However, both sides of my brain agree that charging a minimum to get a bathroom code is NOT COOL.

*Technically they’re called “bathroom attendants,” but they’re really bouncers. Plus a 6’5”, 350lbs dude with a shaved head, wearing a Starbucks apron over his black turtleneck, guarding the bathroom , is a much cooler mental image.