[Beijing = E-Daily Lee Myeongcheol Correspondent] “Excuse me. We’re selling drinks—would you like to order one now?”

“No, I’m waiting for a friend right now. I’ll order with them when they arrive.”

“In that case, I’m sorry, but you can’t sit here. Please come back when you’re ready to order.”

I visited a Starbucks in downtown Beijing, China, to have coffee with a friend. A woman who had been working on her laptop at a table was asked to leave by a staff member. Even though she explained that she would order once her companion arrived, she had no choice but to leave after the staff member told her, “Only customers who have placed an order may sit here.”

As I sat there and watched out of the corner of my eye, the woman who had been asked to leave returned to the Starbucks about 10 minutes later with her companion, and was only allowed to sit down after ordering a drink.

A Chinese acquaintance who had watched this minor altercation from the sidelines recently shared another eyewitness account. At a different Starbucks location, a man who hadn’t ordered a drink strongly protested when a staff member asked him to leave.

My acquaintance said the man eventually went so far as to call the police, claiming that Starbucks was putting pressure on potential customers. The police were dispatched, but the details of the outcome remain unknown. However, a man sitting in a café without ordering a drink likely had no grounds to argue the matter.

The reason Starbucks was able to firmly ask the customer to leave was due to the so-called “No Order, No Seat” policy, which took effect on the 22nd of last month. According to local media reports, Starbucks implemented a “seating for paying customers only” policy at approximately 8,000 stores nationwide. In addition, several new policies were introduced, including a request to keep conversations quiet and a ban on bringing in outside food with strong odors into the café.

Indeed, at the Starbucks I visited that day, a small white sign on the table caught my eye. It read, “This is a Starbucks business space; please place your order before sitting down.”

Just as in Korea, Starbucks in China used to be a “meeting place.” This was because there were no restrictions on sitting inside the store without ordering a drink. At large Starbucks locations on the first floor of shopping malls, it was not uncommon to see groups of food delivery drivers sitting in small clusters, taking a break while waiting for orders.

China’s state-run Global Times (GT) noted, “In recent months, a debate has spread online about people occupying seats without purchasing anything,” adding, “This raises issues such as paying customers being unable to find seats or behavior that disrupts the experience of other customers.”

This phenomenon is not limited to Starbucks but extends to restaurants and cafes across China that offer seating. The deepening slump in domestic consumption and the rise in online delivery orders have left offline stores largely empty, further contributing to this trend. The sight of delivery drivers sitting alone in stores devoid of customers created a strangely paradoxical atmosphere.

Chinese cafes are responding in their own ways. Stores that focus on delivery, such as Luckin—China’s largest coffee franchise—are minimizing seating. They plan to operate exclusively as delivery- or takeout-only locations, without providing any seating at all. This is also linked to efforts to reduce rent costs.

Zhu Danfeng, a Chinese food industry expert, said, “Sitting down after making a purchase is an international practice,” adding, “Cafés are different from public spaces in large shopping malls. Without making a purchase, people cannot stay in commercial buildings for long periods.”

China is one of Starbucks’ most important markets. The company is also preparing measures to quell potential backlash from consumers. According to the China Securities Journal, Starbucks announced that, in conjunction with this seating policy, it will invest an additional 300 million yuan (approximately 60.4 billion won) in fiscal year 2027 to revamp the in-store customer experience.

These funds are slated to be used for additional staff during peak hours at Starbucks Reserve locations, upgrades to digital systems and key equipment, and the renovation of approximately 1,000 stores.

In China, a vast country with a huge population, all sorts of things happen every day. “Peaceful China Today (China Today)” delivers a variety of stories from China—some intriguing, some absurd, and some amusing—as well as issues that can be both moving and meaningful. [Editor’s Note]