Starbucks pulling plug on laptop users?
Starbucks is well-known for coffee, but laptop users love their juice — electrical juice.
After 4 days and only 3 Cafe Americanos, the Starbucks manager had a bad feeling about this guy.
Now, a rumor is floating amongst the Interwebs that New York City Starbucks locations are replacing electrical sockets with blank faceplates, effectively pulling the plug on laptop (ab)users plagued with poor battery performance.
The Seattle-based caffeine pusher did not immediately return a request for comment.
I can see the need to DC AC hogs, but I know a lot of folks, including some of my favorite reporters I never see anymore, use Starbucks as a transient office.
Starbucks Gossip provides the following jolt:
If you are one of those people who uses Starbucks as their office, sits in a store for 8+ hours a day, putting all your files on a table, using a separate chair for your laptop case/ suitcase enjoying unlimited free refills with your Starbucks card, asking for cups of water and refuse to to move until you are good and ready all for the $1.85 you pay as “rent,” then perhaps your actions will answer your questions [about covering the outlets].
An AJC reporter who shall remain nameless tells me she recently lost her connection after 30 minutes at another local coffee shop, so it looks likes Starbucks is not alone in trying to prevent prolonged PC parking.
Starbucks seems to go out of their way to be friendly, so this is a perilous PR path, if true. After all, we can get coffee and electricity at work, if it comes to that.
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211 comments Add your comment
Shannana
August 5th, 2011
9:14 am
Waffle House is in touch with this issue, too. Before smoking was banned in all Georgia restaurants, and Waffle House was one of the few places to still allow it, folks would come in, buy their coffee, get refills all day long and take up the booths SMOKING. Nons-smoking improved their business!
SB Luv
August 5th, 2011
9:15 am
All of you that are threatening to boycott SB if they pull the plug – good! Glad you’ll be gone. Those of us who are circling the parking lots looking for a space to run in and grab a coffee will finally be able to park. They should also consider implementing several “10 minute parking” spaces for those of us on the run.
Power to the People
August 5th, 2011
9:16 am
Ghostrider,
It is rich fat cats like you that need to be taxed in to oblivion. I have a house, one of the few govt assistance programs that actually works.
Evil Emperor Zurg
August 5th, 2011
9:19 am
“I do happen to kill time at S’Bucks while I work on other projects (like I’m doing now), often for an hour or more.”
As a business owner who relies on table occupancy, I can tell you that this type of customer SUCKS, as they are milking a 2 dollar cup of joe while other paying customers go elsewhere because they can’t get a table. Sorry, slackers, there’s this little thing called “consideration” that your parents didn’t instill in you very well. Get your coffee, drink it and then leave. That’s what the business wants.
Ghostrider
August 5th, 2011
9:20 am
@Power to the People
And your point ???? I have a house to, married 25 years no kids, 2 cars and Wife who dosen’t work. That dosen’t give you the right to sit in Starbucks for hours at a time.
Evil Emperor Zurg
August 5th, 2011
9:21 am
One more thing: if you want to sit on your laptop for hours, do it at home. There is no need for you to “be seen” by anyone in public slouched over your laptop. Bunch of narcissists!
D man
August 5th, 2011
9:22 am
Good job Starbucks… It’s about time…
DW
August 5th, 2011
9:23 am
I’m glad they are pulling the plug. Starbucks is a business and I don’t blame them getting sick of people abusing the perks they offer. Look at what happened to Borders? Too many freeloaders out there. What you think you’re justified to use their space because you paid $2 for a cup of coffee? Get real.
Power to the People
August 5th, 2011
9:26 am
Ghostrider,
A wife that sits at home and you have TWO cars???? You should get charged a premium idiot tax.
Pippi Longstockings
August 5th, 2011
9:34 am
@ Jonny
“I used to use Starbucks for work all the time. However, I got sick of that place. They do not have printers and it is so hard to find power!!! It is also distracting to have kids running around you while you are trying to work on your personal finances…”
SUCH A SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT YOU HAVE THERE!!! Starbucks is NOT your personal space!
But speaking of sick, I noticed over the last year or so that every time I drink that powerful Starbucks coffee, I start feeling sick. I don’t feel like that with Dunkin Donuts coffee.