Starbucks' 'purchase to sit' rule triggers debate after Nanjing man calls police
A Nanjing man occupied a Starbucks seat for days without buying anything and called police when staff reminded him of the chain's new 'purchase to sit' policy. Lawyers say businesses have the right to set rules, but enforcement must be handled carefully.
Starbucks' nationwide 'purchase to sit' policy in mainland China has sparked debate after a man in Nanjing who occupied a seat for several days without buying anything called police when staff reminded him of the rule.
Starbucks implemented the 'purchase to sit' requirement across its mainland stores from 22 October, according to the Standard. A netizen posted on 29 October that a man at the Starbucks in Nanjing's Tongxi Wanshang City had occupied a seat for days without making a purchase. When a staff member brought a menu and reminded him that he needed to buy something to sit, the man felt the staff member's attitude was poor, complained without success and then called police. He left after officers mediated.
Staff at the branch confirmed the incident, saying a 'please purchase to sit' sign is displayed. They said the rule is not enforced by driving people away, but staff will keep reminding those who do not buy anything.
Some branches of IKEA's restaurant in Shanghai's Xuhui district, Chagee in Shandong and Nayuki in Chengdu have also piloted similar reminders or deployed security staff to ask people occupying seats to leave, the report said.
Lawyer Lu Yun of the China Consumers Association's legal team said restaurant seating is commercial space, not a purely public facility, and businesses have the right to set their own rules, but enforcement should not be applied uniformly.
Lawyer Li Jingxin of Hubei Chisheng Law Firm said businesses are not setting a minimum spend, only making 'consumption' a precondition for sitting, which is not a legally prohibited forced consumption and is not illegal. Customers who disagree can choose not to patronise the store.
Legal expert Yue Shenshan reminded businesses that they cannot forcibly remove people and can only persuade them, and can seek help from relevant authorities if persuasion fails.