Starbucks China Requires a Purchase to Sit Down at About 8,000 Stores

Starbucks has introduced a new rule at roughly 8,000 of its mainland China stores requiring customers to make a purchase before taking a seat, with the policy taking effect October 22.

A new purchase-to-sit rule

Under the new policy, customers must buy something before using a seat in store, while pregnant customers and those with mobility issues are given priority support. Starbucks said it would invest 300 million yuan, or about 44.9 million dollars, in upgrading the in-store experience, including adding staff during peak hours.

A business under pressure

Starbucks' China business has been under strain in recent years. Revenue from the China market stood at about 3.6 billion dollars in fiscal 2021 but had fallen to 3.2 billion dollars by fiscal 2025, a decline the company has attributed to pandemic disruption and intensifying competition from local chains. In April, Starbucks sold a 60 percent stake in its China business to Boyu Capital, a Hong Kong based private equity firm.

Luckin Coffee keeps expanding

Luckin Coffee, founded in 2017, built its business around affordable pricing and mobile ordering that appealed to younger consumers. In 2022, Luckin overtook Starbucks in store count in China and became the first coffee chain in the country to reach 10,000 locations.

A mixed reaction from customers

The new rule drew mixed reactions online. On the social platform Weibo, some users suggested Starbucks was in the business of selling drinks rather than running a free study room, a sentiment that echoed widely in the comments.

Seating rules tighten at cafes elsewhere

Starbucks had already revised its open door policy in early 2025, and South Korea introduced its own restrictions that August, barring customers from using bulky items such as desktop computers and printers inside cafes.