American public restrooms can’t be Starbucks

American public restrooms can’t be Starbucks

American: When Michael Bloomberg was mayor of New York City 20 years ago, there was pressure to build more public restrooms. For decades, most Americans have dealt with access to public bathrooms similarly.

You’re welcome to use the bathroom at Starbucks,” he joked.

The public toilets were outsourced by public agencies to private companies for years, with companies like SBUX stepping in.

Open-bathroom policies have sometimes been adopted by Starbucks, but they’ve also been avoided at times. The coffee chain has effectively ruled out becoming the nation’s public toilet.

Schultz told customers and staff last month that Starbucks may not be able to maintain its bathrooms because of an increasing mental health problem. During the conference, Schultz said that stores must be hardened to ensure safety for their employees. It is not clear whether we will be able to keep the bathrooms open.”

A re-evaluation of Starbucks’ restrooms demonstrates the crucial need for public restrooms at the local, state, and federal levels to be prioritized.

In 2018, journalist Lezlie Lowe wrote “No Place to Go: How Public Toilets Fail our Private Needs”, which argued that the commercial solution is not great.

A rational person would not want Starbucks to pay for traffic lights or street lights, but it’s an obvious amenity we need in our cities. I do not doubt that it’s a reasonable proposal.”

No place to go

The United States has a shortage of clean, safe, and well-equipped public restrooms.

It is dangerous for people to use public toilets without adequate facilities, endangering public health and making neighborhoods less livable. It is extremely difficult for people who are homeless, deliverers who travel for hours, and people with disabilities to access public bathrooms. The lines at the bathroom tend to be longer for women than for men.

ANA Global Partnership chief executive Catarina de Albuquerque wrote this month that the sanitation crisis highlights American inequality and marginalization. Sanitation is a fundamental human right, just like food, water, and shelter.

According to de Albuquerque, in 2011, the United States had “wrongfully inadequate availability of public restrooms” despite being one of the wealthiest countries. The average number was eight per 100,000 people, similar to Botswana. There are 56 toilets per 100,000 people in Iceland, which is the highest number in the world.

Public bathrooms in the 20th century

Since Jim Crow discrimination in public restrooms and laws that target transgender individuals, there has been no easy way to explain where the United States came to this dilemma.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the drive to build public bathrooms reached its peak. It was common for people to urinate in public before then. There was often only one option in cities: saloons.

Observers reported seeing urinating men often on the sidewalks, just as they could not avoid seeing horses defecate in public,” wrote historian Peter Baldwin in a 2014 article in a journal.

As the lack of public toilets became increasingly problematic, a coalition of housing reformers, doctors, and temperance activists joined forces. During this time, saloons’ bathrooms were being used by men who stayed longer to keep drinking.

According to Baldwin, cities constructed public restrooms before Prohibition in 1920 to avoid the shortage that would result from bar closures. The high maintenance costs, budget shortfalls, crime, and other factors led to local governments closing public bathrooms and reducing hours in subsequent decades.

Fast food chains like McDonald’s (MCD) and Starbucks eventually stepped up to fill the void left by gas stations as more families hit the road.

Starbucks stance on bathrooms

For decades, the coffee chain has provided bathrooms to those in need.

During the Republican National Convention in New York City, a New York Times reporter wrote a tongue-in-cheek guide. It is a shame for the city that there is no public toilet,” he admitted. His recommendation was to go to Starbucks like the locals.

The chain wasn’t necessarily hurt by that. There are thousands of Starbucks locations across the world, serving as a “third place” where people can grab a coffee on the run, or celebrate with friends or strangers over a latte.

In addition to building a brand for Starbucks, allowing the public to use its restrooms enables it to attract potential customers.

He is currently working on a book about public restrooms. Bryant Simon, a Temple University historian who has written a book about Starbucks, said that Starbucks made money by maintaining bathrooms.

But allowing free access to its bathrooms often puts a burden on Starbucks employees. In 2011, The New York Times reported on baristas who went rogue by locking store bathrooms because they were “tired of customers — and noncustomers — leaving bathrooms messy or worse.”

Starbucks responded to the reaction as if it were revoking a public right, and instructed employees to open the bathrooms, according to the article.

Two black men were arrested while waiting for a friend at a Philadelphia Starbucks in 2018, prompting the company to codify its bathroom policy. A man told the reporter he was denied use of the restroom as soon as he walked in and was told the toilet was only for paying customers. It wasn’t long before a store employee called 911.

An apology was issued by Starbucks, and its employees were trained on anti-bias issues. A notice was also sent to employees informing them that everyone had access to bathrooms.

In an email to workers at the time, Starbucks stated that anyone entering our spaces is considered a customer, regardless of whether they make a purchase. It has been challenging to maintain that commitment.

Starbucks closed 16 stores this month, citing safety concerns. “Closing restrooms” was listed among the steps Starbucks is taking to keep workers safe in an open letter outlining the company’s safety measures. As Starbucks fights unionization, changes are being made.

Schultz discussed Starbucks’ and the country’s challenges in a memo in July.

As a window into America, our stores serve as a portal to the country. Our stores must be modernized and transformed, as well as a safe, welcoming environment must be created.”

According to Temple’s Simon, public restrooms can’t be solved by companies alone. The only way to solve it is by invigorating and strengthening the state.”