Starbucks China rolls out buy-before-seating rule after reversing open-door policy in US

Starbucks China says it will roll out its “purchase before seating” rule nationwide starting Thursday, with corresponding signs put in stores, following a similar policy it introduced at its North America stores last year. The Seattle-based coffee chain would prioritise helping visitors in need, such as pregnant women and people with limited mobility, and would continue to foster its stores as so-called third places, it said in a statement on Wednesday. The policy has sparked widespread...