Starbucks Coffee Company — Restaurant in Atlanta

I’m writing this message with a heavy heart after a very upsetting experience that took place at your location on July 17th, between 6:00–7:00 PM.

I walked into Starbucks, as I often do, to focus on my monthly planning and scheduling. This location has always been my go-to spot because of its welcoming space and proximity to my home. It’s more than just a coffee shop to me—it’s been a place where I’ve felt comfortable working, reflecting, and simply being.

I set up my iPad, books, pens, and other materials to begin my planning session. Shortly after settling in, I got up to use the restroom. The door was locked, so I approached an employee to ask if someone was inside. What happened next genuinely stunned and hurt me.

The employee informed me that I would need to make a purchase in order to use the restroom. I was caught completely off guard. I frequent this location often, and I have never encountered or been informed of such a policy. I politely asked if she could show me a written statement or clarification from Starbucks outlining this rule. She could not. I asked if she could explain further, but again, she couldn’t provide any answers.

What hurt the most was not just the refusal itself, but the way I was made to feel. I was profiled. Despite clearly being there to work, with my professional materials laid out on the table, I was treated as if I didn’t belong—as if I was a problem or a nuisance.

For context, I am a first responder for the City of Atlanta, dedicating my life to serving the public. I was on my off day, simply trying to catch up on work. I should never have had to explain myself to use the restroom in a public café—nor should anyone else.

To be made to feel ashamed, to be denied basic dignity, and to be forced to purchase something just to relieve myself is not only degrading, it’s sickening. The employee had no idea if I had a medical condition, if I’d recently had surgery, or simply needed to use the bathroom urgently. That moment was dehumanizing.

This is not the Starbucks I thought I knew. The treatment I received that day was disgraceful and unacceptable. I left feeling embarrassed, confused, and extremely disappointed. I truly hope corporate takes this matter seriously, because what happened that day went far beyond policy—it became personal.

I’m still deeply hurt by the experience, and I hope no other customer ever has to go...

I stopped by this location at about 12pm on 10/01/25 to pick up two uber orders and had a terrible experience.

I’m not sure of the baristas name, but she was a young woman with black box braids. I could tell upon entering that everyone was stressed- there were a lot of tickets, dozens of food/drink items that were not paired together, a group of people waiting by the pick up stand.

I waited over 10 minutes so that the line could die down, and while everyone who arrived prior to me had left, I had not been greeted. I politely got her attention to let this barista know the two names I was waiting on, only for her to cut me say “they’re not ready yet”. Okay…

I wait 10 more minutes, but notice very quickly that the other order that I was waiting on was sitting right in front of me, but had not been packaged yet. After the 10 minutes, i politely let the same woman know “I think the items for x are right there” and she cut me off again and said “it’s coming, it’s not ready yet”. I replied “the items are right there” and she snapped back with “okay well it’s not in the bag. So it’s not ready”.

Not once did anyone acknowledge my presence, greet me, or check on the order. It took over 25 minutes just for someone to finally come from the back and put the items in a bag. I understand that it was probably a stressful day, but that was no excuse to be dismissed the way that I was. I’ve worked at Starbucks before, so I know exactly how hectic it can get- you still don’t take it out on other people. What if they were out of stock of an item and I needed to contact the customer? What if I was at the wrong location, or my order got stuck in the system, or someone stole the order and they didn’t have the ticket in the first place? Their refusal to even acknowledge me was very hurtful to say the least, and extremely disrespectful to the guests time and dismissive of the quality that all customers, including delivery...

This is hands down my favorite Starbucks in Atlanta! I’m here at least three times a week — it’s basically my home office 😄 The customer service is always top-tier, and most of the baristas already know my order by heart.

You can tell the staff takes pride in their work and regularly go through training. Dustin does an amazing job keeping everything running smoothly — you’ll often see him cleaning tables, pushing in chairs, or helping train new baristas. The space is always tidy, and the bathrooms are consistently clean (which says a lot for how busy this area gets).

All the baristas are awesome, but Skky and Nikki are my MVPs. Skky is incredibly knowledgeable and provides such genuine, down-to-earth service — never forced, just real. And Nikki’s energy is infectious! She’s always upbeat, and it’s hard to leave without her putting a smile on your face.

I’ve been to plenty of Starbucks around Atlanta, but I always find myself coming back to this one. The vibe, the people, the consistency — everything about it...