Furious customers freaked out after being locked out of Starbucks when stores closed for racial-bias training
- Starbucks closed 8,000 locations across the United States on Tuesday afternoon so that employees could undergo a racial-bias training.
- Some customers didn't get the memo and still showed up at Starbucks.
- Baristas report that dozens of angry customers tried to get into the stores, banging on doors and honking horns in the drive-thru line.
Starbucks closing 8,000 stores for racial-bias training on Tuesday afternoon was huge news.
But apparently, not every customer got the memo.
According to Starbucks employees posting on social media, stores were plagued by customers who were determined to order food and beverages even after the locations had shut down early for the day.
One person tweeted, "Watching people try to open a door to a closed Starbucks that has a sign clearly on the door that says 'We will see you tomorrow!' is hilarious."
The drive-thru created even bigger problems.
In the words of one Reddit commenter: "We had about 30 cars go through the drive thru during the meeting, our store manager cried."
Over the course of the training, one person on the Starbucks subreddit said they counted 38 people yanking on the door trying to get in. Another counted 40 at the drive-thru. Reporter Jeff Bollier said that he saw a store turn away 37 drive-thru and six walk-in customers.
The subreddit for Starbucks, r/Starbucks, was bombarded with memes about desperate customers' attempts to get into stores.
"I don't need to read that sign; I'll just open the doo-" reads one post, followed by this gif:
A certain Spongebob Squarepants meme took on some additional significance for Starbucks baristas:
As of Wednesday, Starbucks stores are once again operating with normal hours. While the impact of Tuesday's training remains to be seen, the closures proved one thing: some desperate Starbucks customers will stop at nothing to get their caffeine fix.
Read more about Starbucks' closures:
- 'Color brave,' furious customers, and 'eye-opening' interactions: Starbucks baristas reveal what it was like to attend the chain's massive racial-bias training
- Starbucks is closing all its US locations early Tuesday. Here's what you need to know.
- Starbucks is closing all locations in response to the arrest of 2 black men who tried to use a store's bathroom - and it's sparking a culture war on all sides
- Internet trolls are spreading fake Starbucks coupons exclusively for black customers after the chain announced it would close all stores for 'racial-bias education'
- Starbucks is doing something it has done only once before - and last time it cost the company $6 million
- Video shows a black man confronting a Starbucks barista about why he was apparently denied access to bathroom while a white man was not