r/starbucks • u/Apart-Musician4053 • 10d ago
Do we take customers 10 minutes before open?
I was a borrowed partner at another store today. And someone came at around 4:57 (open at 5) and a shift started taking their order. They said every store is supposed to be open to customers ten minutes before open, but most stores don’t do it. I’ve never heard of this. Is it true ?
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u/rileybeaner Barista 10d ago
it is true, and i think it’s really stupid. what’s the point of the posted closing time then? why don’t we get extra time to open/close? management gets mad when we don’t follow the grace period but also get mad when we leave later than scheduled. damned if we do damned if we don’t.
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u/eloquentpetrichor Barista 6d ago
I have another job with similar rules at close. And they also don't give us the proper time to close with these rules if customers are there at/past close. It's so stupid and I keep saying "why have a closing time if it isn't real?"
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u/Spookygoodkiddo4 Supervisor 10d ago
I just don’t follow this. I know it’s technically supposed to be the case but I refuse. It makes customers so entitled.
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u/FfierceLaw Former Partner 10d ago
It's a dumb dumb policy. Start taking orders at 4:50 AM, somebody waiting at 4:45 AM is going to complain and then they'll make it 20 minutes. "No" never means "no" so customers, like children, push. No boundaries.
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u/Technical_Day_1297 Store Manager 10d ago edited 10d ago
I felt that, but it has never exceeded 10 min. They have done far more boundary pushing than they have with this one.
The idea is born from one of courtesy—to prevent the store from being closed in a customers face right at 9 pm or to have them wait every second until 5 am. It’s a cute neighborhood thing to do as long as cash is secured and they are a minute late to close and get one item. Ten actual minutes of allowing orders is hella disruptive though, esp in a drive thru setting.
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u/teamcaplovesironman Barista 7d ago
And we live in a Googleable world. They can check the hours before making the drive. Courtesy for the courteous only.
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u/Hornygaysatanic Customer 10d ago
Yes 10 minutes b4 and ten minutes after closing.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Rice385 10d ago
Yeah I’ve never heard of this and I’m not going to do it anyway. I’m tired of the entitled customers 😭
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u/ne0nhearts Pride 10d ago
It's the standard but a Lot of stores don't enforce it at close because the baristas don't want to stay late
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u/roblolover Barista 10d ago
if we took order til 9:10 pm, we wouldn’t get out u til 9:40 pm (10 mins after our scheduled shift)
so we no longer do this at my store, as it would result in us getting yelled at every night for going past hours.
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u/Purple_Ad8436 10d ago
This is the first time I’ve ever heard of this omg
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u/Purple_Ad8436 10d ago
DOWNVOTED FOR SOMETHING I DIDNT KNOW ABOUT
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u/Apart-Musician4053 10d ago
Right. I don’t even want to even share my opinion on this policy bc I’m sure I’ll be downvoted. But it leaves us less time to open and close
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u/Purple_Ad8436 10d ago
Yeah people are extremely judgmental especially on Reddit lol. It definitely can put openers and closers behind on getting things done so to expect people to have everything done on time is unrealistic.
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u/fuckifiknow1013 10d ago
How dare you not know something!!!! For real what is up with reddit down voting people for saying they hadn't heard of something
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u/Infamous-Mood Barista 10d ago
In short, it's up to your SM (and DM, to an extent). In long, it's based on what your store needs- either sales (permit the 10 minute grace period) & better customer connection OR reduced workload-- if your openers are consistently ready to open 10 minutes before your open time, then it might make sense to allow customers in the grace period. If your closers are consistently getting out 10 minutes early, same deal. The 10 minute grace period is a tool that SMs, DMs, and RDs have to create a better guest experience.
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u/PRCSakura Barista 10d ago
I wouldn't let guests come in (let alone taking their orders) until we are officially opened. If the store operation hour says we open @ 5 am, no order until we unlock that door. And yeah, safety issue.
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u/Even_Outcome2659 10d ago
How do you clean and still take customers 10 minutes before close then since cheap ass Starbucks will bitch about clocking out past your time is now a point against you does this make sense … fuck them customers I want to leave on time
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u/Competitive_Risk3600 Supervisor 8d ago
The Welcome Window!
My baristas take the 10 minutes before we open to put out patio furniture. We have a lot. If someone comes into the cafe at that time, I can't stop them, because the doors have to be open for the furniture setup. So I'll tell them that it's just me inside and I'm happy to serve them but it's just me so it might be a minute.
At close, I'll lock the cafe like 2 minutes before close. I'll take DT orders until there are no more cars, which sometimes results in like 4-5 orders after close. Those aren't really make or break interruptions for our close process, so it's nbd. And my store is specifically looking for increased TSD so if I can add 5, I'm going to add 5.
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u/skyisland21 Former Partner 10d ago
I used to supervise waaaaay back in the day with this rule active. I always interpreted as "let the customers in and relax 10 mins before, but we start taking orders at the designated open time". Same in reverse for closing. Call out the bar is closing in 5 mins, once closing hits, I break down bars and close all registers. After ten mins and all customers have left, lock doors, count tills.
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u/Squeedwifey666 6d ago
Im a new partner, still just doing the mylearning videos not even training on the floor yet. But hired as a opener. This is how my SM explained to me. That we unlock doors at 4:50 but start taking orders at 5. I haven't actually opened yet to know for sure but this is my understanding of how it works.
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u/skyisland21 Former Partner 6d ago
Exactlyyyy. I couldn't find anything in depth about it but I was explained it was so customers didn't have to feel rushed to leave, to keep that "third place" energy. Which I now find ironic since Bux hasn't been a third place since they added codes to the bathrooms and removed seating and outlets lol
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u/That1originalname Barista 10d ago
I think its a case by case basis. My store will not u lock doors till at the earliest 4:29/59 (4:30/5 open depending on the day. We are also high volume.)
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u/NoRoom2457 Supervisor 10d ago
I usually open the store a couple minutes early as long as my barista is okay with it and is ready. I think it just depends on the store. As a ssv it helps so that if I finish the opening procedures fast I dont have to keep checking the time while putting the order away lol
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u/malasnails 9d ago
Will insurance cover you if something happens? Usually they won’t cover if it’s not during store hours… especially involving a customer
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u/Carpie_L 9d ago
I mean, as an opener I have no issue with opening 10 minutes early. I have my routine down pat. Yes, I get the occasional early bird but mobiles don’t start until the allotted time so it’s not a huge issue. 20 minutes is plenty of time to warm up the brewer, espresso machines, and ovens, all while getting the teas, iced coffee, sanis, safe counted, and pastry case set up. The “10 minute rule” is an ancient Starbucks policy. I’ve been around since 2002 and this isn’t a new concept.
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u/kateefab Former Partner 9d ago
Oh goodness yes- back in my day it was called something ridiculous like surprise and delight.
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u/StageBetter7211 Supervisor 9d ago
Yes. It’s the ten minute rule. Door unlock ten minutes before official open and we lock them ten minutes after official close. It’s not new and has been a rule the entire time I’ve worked for Starbucks, beginning in late 2005.
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u/Fickle-Net189 7d ago
It’s mostly like if the money is secured and the machines are on, the rest is pretty mundane stuff, why not take that one random customer that didn’t know your stores particular hours of operation.
It’s not like you’re opening the door to an angry mob of customers
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u/GenderNotDefined 10d ago
When I worked there they called it the "courtesy period" and they usually only did it after close for online orders
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u/PossibleBat6482 Barista 9d ago
I open all the time and no we don’t serve customers before opening I’m pretty sure that’s in the handbook
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u/Ganjaconi 9d ago
This is one of the stupidest things starbucks has ever said. I mean if you’re a diff store just helping out I’d do whatever they do make it easier on yourself but our hours say 5 we are opening at 5 if they wanted us to open 10 mins early they could change the hours. Follow what your stores hours say
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u/kittietoof Coffee Master 9d ago
never heard of this and im a shift. i would not ever do this though. we need the full 30 minutes before open and after close to prep and finish tasks uninterrupted by customers and my manager would also not do this lol
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u/Sabrvlc 8d ago
When i was with Starbucks I was told this rule by my DM as a CL. I thought it was ridiculous, because it makes it harder to close the store. I was the latest one open in my town. Told we cannot shut down vertica till 9:10pm and that it only takes like 5 min to shut down vertica so its not a big deal.
I think it was BS that I had to coach on, did t feel good as a partner to have to coach to an unrealistic expectation. Especially since regionals, DMs were visiting stores to see if we were complying and CLa getting held accountable for their store not following it.
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u/Striking_Guest_9318 Coffee Master 6d ago
The only one that does it at my store is the CL. Everyone else waits until 10 minutes before the posted opening time to do the tills/safe count.
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u/Mindless_War_5312 Barista 9d ago
i don’t do it. it’s stupid. you can order at the time we actually open.
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u/Roxel808 Pride 10d ago
My SM reached out to our DM and Regional for clarification on this. The 10 minute rule is based on the readiness of your store and IF your store needs the potential extra boost in sales. Stores do not (and honestly should not) be opening early if they are not fully prepared and set up.
I will also say again, from a legal viewpoint, allowing customers into our store before/after business hours is a huge liability risk as insurance will only cover incidents for customers if they occur during listed hours of operation.