‘Because I’m Black’: Texas Woman Sits in Starbucks for an Hour Without Buying Anything. Then Accuses Staff of Racism When Asked to Leave
She's been sitting in the store for an hour without making any purchases.
A woman claimed a Starbucks staff member was racist when she was supposedly asked to leave after using the store’s amenities despite not having bought a drink for an hour. Police were allegedly called by staff following a report of “criminal trespassing.”
@karens.exposed0 shared the incident on her TikTok. “F*** STARBUCKS!! If you’re Black, stop giving these people your Black dollar. I’m serious,” karens.exposed0 said in her caption. According to the account, she was doing work at a Starbucks location in Texas when staff, whom she claimed was the manager, contacted the police and allegedly told them she was trespassing on the property.
“This lady right here. You’re bothering me because I’m Black. […] I do my work here every single day,” karens.exposed0 said when the manager approached her to clean a nearby window. The TikToker had been sitting at a table at the store for an hour and claimed she could order whatever she wanted on her own time despite being told otherwise.
Woman says she will purchase on her own time
“I’m not on your time. Bother somebody else,” karens.exposed0 told the manager. “You’re not gonna bother me because I’m Black and I’m minding my business. I’m doing my work.”
The manager apologized to karens.exposed0, but claimed that “it’s a policy” that she needed to make a purchase before staying in Starbucks and using their amenities, like the Wi-Fi. However, karens.exposed0 denied that it’s a policy, as she allegedly visits the store every week to do her work, and reiterated that she was “minding my business.”
“I will order something when I’m ready. Leave me alone,” karens.exposed0 said. Before ending the video, she added, “Leave me alone. Bother someone else. It’s harassment.”
In 2018, Starbucks announced its “open-door policy,” specifically allowing the public to use its restrooms despite not making a purchase. This policy stemmed from when a manager at a Philadelphia location called the authorities on two young Black men who tried to use the restrooms without buying anything during a business meeting, per CBS News.
As a result of the police report, Starbucks faced public backlash and boycott threats, as well as accusations of racism. Starbucks would later temporarily close over 8,000 of its stores to train its 175,000 employees on racial bias and fire the Philadelphia store manager.
After seven years, Starbucks announced its reversal of the open-door policy when the company gained new leadership under Brian Niccol in 2025. While they understood the need for Wi-Fi and restroom access before making purchases, they hoped to make their locations “more appealing by prioritizing customers” and revised the company’s Code of Conduct.
Woman claims her life was put in danger by Starbucks staff
In a separate post, karens.exposed0 shared more about her side of the story. According to the account, she and her colleagues often visited the Starbucks store and “spend money there almost every day” while they supposedly worked on their businesses.
When asked why she didn’t just make a purchase, karens.exposed0 argued that her life was “immediately in danger” when staff allegedly escalated the issue and called the authorities. “The issue is why was police being called before I even got the opportunity to order my drink?” karens.exposed0 said. “We are talking about law enforcement, people who carry guns, with history of brutality against black Americans.”
karens.exposed0 claimed that the manager had lied to the police about causing a disturbance and criminally trespassing. However, she did not provide any videos of the manager making these claims.
In the comments section, viewers heavily sided with the Starbucks manager. “If you’re not buying their product, you have no right to sit in there and use their Wi-Fi,” one viewer wrote. Another added, “Sitting for an HOUR without ordering is ballsy.”
Some criticized karens.exposed0 for using the “race card,” saying, “It has nothing to do with color it’s not a library nor a free working space it’s A COFFEE SHOP.” Another viewer also wrote, “why do they always use the race card when you know there in the wrong.”
Meanwhile, under Starbucks’ new Code of Conduct, employees are allowed to ask a customer to leave. In serious cases, they can seek help from law enforcement if they fail to continue abiding by the rules.
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