Starbucks — Restaurant in Sacramento

Starbucks Location: 2620 Gateway Oaks Dr, Sacramento, CA 95833 Date of Visit: Today – July 14, 2025 Time: Around 10:30 AM

I had a terrible experience at this Starbucks today, and I feel extremely disappointed and disrespected as a customer.

I walked in intending to buy a coffee, but I really needed to use the restroom first. I politely asked one of the employees (a young woman, I believe her name started with “Am” — though she wasn’t wearing a visible name on her apron, which is also unprofessional) if I could use the restroom. She was rude and dismissive, telling me “No, you have to make a purchase first.” I explained again that I just needed to use the restroom quickly and then I would make my purchase. She told me “No” again, in the same cold tone. No apology, no compassion, no effort to help. Just a blunt and unpleasant attitude.

This isn’t just about the policy — it’s about how she treated me. Even if there’s a rule in place, there’s a respectful and kind way to speak to someone, especially a customer who is not being rude, just asking for basic human decency.

Eventually, I did make a purchase and was given the code to use the restroom. When I went in, I found that there was NO toilet paper at all. That’s completely unacceptable — especially for a busy, high-traffic location like this. It shows a total lack of cleanliness and care.

I told another employee that there was no toilet paper in the restroom. All he said was “OK.” No “I’m sorry,” no “We’ll take care of that right away,” no professionalism at all. Just complete indifference.

Between being treated poorly at the counter, denied the restroom in a time of need, and then finding no basic hygiene supplies in the restroom, this whole experience was a disaster.

I left the store feeling disrespected, frustrated, and honestly shocked at how bad the customer service was. This team clearly needs better training in customer service, empathy, and cleanliness. Customers should not be treated like this — especially at a company like Starbucks that claims to value hospitality.

I will never return to this Starbucks location again. You’ve lost a customer, and I hope someone from management takes this...

Nice coffeehouse vibe. Interesting layout that offers various seating options. This rectangular-shaped store felt cramped at first, but soon I appreciated the layout. As seen in the pics, one side offers smaller bar-style two-seater tables, while the other side offers sit-down tables. The cashier and operations are in the middle. Four things I appreciated about this store: 1. There is outdoor seating both on the west end of the store (side with the bathrooms and bar tables), as well as on the east side. The advantage seems like there will always be one side with shade, and one side with sun. The west side is more the back side, and has a sense of privacy with a somewhat hedge of plants. 2. This store didn't seem overly crowded. We worked there from noon til almost 4pm on a Friday, and there was neither a lunch rush nor an after-school rush as many locations experience. 3. The employees regularly cleaned and maintained the bathrooms and tables. 4. The employees were friendly and attentive. Because there was no drive-thru, orders were completed quickly. Most of the tables may not comfortably accommodate two persons with two laptop workstations. However, for one person, or even two persons with smaller devices (tablet or phone, or even a book!), it is a nice spot to sit and study for a while, with a mixed feel between smaller and relaxed, yet bright and spacious (with the nice windows...

My Poor Behavior

Issak (with a K, I believe) was the manager on duty during my visit to this Starbucks. One of the employees enforced the policy of not allowing restroom use until a purchase was made. This policy is completely understandable, but I behaved poorly and emotionally in response. I regret engaging in a conversation about the culture surrounding the policy in the way that I did.

On a location-by-location basis, I recognize the importance of protecting the customer experience by ensuring that complimentary services are reserved for paying customers. This protects both the employees and the quality of service for those who are there to enjoy it.

I should have been more mature and refrained from challenging the employee and the manager. I am proud of Issak for standing up for his team, setting a clear boundary, and handling the conversation with intelligence and professionalism.

I sincerely apologize to him and his team for my behavior.

I am proud of them for protecting their policy, their customer experience, and the community culture they are responsible for...