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[UPDATE] Toilet Terror: Starbucks Closing Its NYC Restrooms To EVERYONE
By
Ben Yakas
Published Nov 16, 2011
Modified Nov 16, 2011
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Nov 16, 2011
Modified Nov 16, 2011
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We always feared this day would come, but we can't believe how stinky it is: according to the NY Post, Starbucks' across the city are sick and tired of moochers, vagrants, and vagabonds clogging up their toilets, and have begun closing their restrooms to the public. “Starbucks cannot be the public bathroom in the city anymore,” a source told them. Oh no! How will the Starbucks masturbator complete his mission now?
Starbucks, which has 196 locations spread throughout the city, claims that the main reason for the unofficial policy shift is not because of people continually putting hidden spy cams in the bathrooms—but rather because employees were being forced to wait on lines for restrooms. As a result, the Starbucks on 45th Street and Sixth Avenue has made their bathroom employees-only; two others, at Spring Street and at 67th Street and Columbus Avenue, reduced their restrooms from two to one.
While the shift in bathroom availability is "not a stated policy" of the Starbucks company, the source tells the Post that it is still effectively happening: “They are not eliminating bathrooms, but feeling the pressure of more people...If you are a tourist, you will not know which Starbucks has a bathroom,” the source said. But don't panic! There are still plenty of other options to get your businesses done, from public restroom treasure maps to social networking bathroom apps, from the Guggeneheim to the fine facilities at Bryant Park.
Update:Starbucks has tweeted in response to the story, which has now also been picked up by the NY Times: "hey, we're not closing public bathrooms at all, that's not true." We've contacted Starbucks directly for comment, but as was stated in the original Post piece, "reducing the number of public johns is 'not a stated policy.'"
Update II: Starbucks has gotten back to us about the controversial new "policy," and said that the information being passed around the web this morning is "completely untrue." However, they did add that in certain large stores, some branches have begun dedicating one bathroom to employees only. Here's their statement:
Reports that we are eliminating public restrooms are completely false. Starbucks stores will continue to have public restrooms available. In rare cases at large stores with two restrooms, we have converted one of the restrooms for partner (employee) use.
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bathroom
public bathrooms
starbucks
toilets
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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