Families struggle to find seats at Katong Square Starbucks as students hog tables
Students and Starbucks often go together like coffee and milk -- but not everyone is a fan of the pairing.
A family had hoped to enjoy a quiet Sunday breakfast at Starbucks in Katong Square but instead found themselves competing with groups of students who had taken up most of the tables.
A Stomper shared her experience of when she visited the outlet on Aug 3 between 10.30am and 11am.
"My family and I were having a normal Sunday Starbucks breakfast and we couldn't see any empty tables or seats," the Stomper recounted.
"A lot of students were there with their books and laptops, studying with almost empty drinks, water bottles from home and snacks that weren't from Starbucks.
"I don't mind this on normal days, if they want to study somewhere other than their home. But on Sundays, families are there to have breakfast and spend time together. They order food and need somewhere to sit.
"In the end, we managed to squeeze in, indirectly forcing some students to give us space at the sharing table."
She said that during the half an hour her family was there, they saw many other families struggling to find seats, with some eventually giving up and leaving to eat elsewhere.
"The students didn't show any sign of leaving," she said. "Instead, more snacks came out from their bags - although most of them had the decency to keep them hidden rather than leaving them out on the table."
She questioned the lack of courtesy: "I don't mind people studying at Starbucks when it's not busy, but on a Sunday, is it too much to show basic courtesy to other customers who are genuinely there to eat with their family? What is wrong with students these days?"
She added that she only encounters such situations occasionally, usually during exam periods.
At the time of publishing, Starbucks has not addressed this specific incident.
However, in response to similar past complaints, the company said: "Starbucks welcomes all customers and looks to find the right balance between freeing up seats for everyone's use while making sure everyone can linger and enjoy their Starbucks experience in a way that works best for each individual.
"Having said that, we do hear you and we have raised this to the management and will continue working hard to ensure that we create a warm and welcoming environment for all. We hope to do better to serve everyone in the future. Thank you for your patience."
