Starbucks: We Apologized to Cop Who Was Refused Bathroom Access

It comes in the wake of the cop's viral Facebook rant.

Shutterstock.

Shutterstock.

Starbucks has issued an apology to a police officer involved in a bizarre incident that has since become a viral sensation on Facebook.

Here’s a recap: A police officer posted a long rant complaining that a “young blonde liberal” barista at the 13th and Chestnut location refused to provide him with the bathroom security code, claiming that restrooms are for customers only. He even equated it to growing anti-police sentiment in the country, saying: “It’s hip for this generation to berate and totally disrespect cops in front of the public and praise cop killers as the heroes of their time.” Check out our story from yesterday for plenty more detail.

Now, a Starbucks spokesperson says the company has apologized to the officer.

“We have personally apologized to the customer and look forward to welcoming him back to our store,” the spokesperson says.

The spokesperson also said: “This particular experience was not consistent with the welcoming and friendly environment that we strive to create. We are working to put safeguards in place to ensure it never happens again.”

While the spokesperson says Starbucks restrooms are open to the public, an employee told me that this particular location had a policy of only providing the security codes to paying customers. (It’s connected to a huge Macy’s store and sits in the middle of Center City, so the restrooms likely get plenty of use.)

I believe the incident was not a product of “liberal” police bias, but a product of corporate cultures that don’t allow for any leeway, employee empowerment or independent thought. Check out my rant here.