To be mad at Starbucks hosting a musical baby morning

[imnotreally]

My local Starbucks is located on the junction of an A road, just outside of town. People go there to work or to take business meetings. It also happens to be near the towns crematorium so a lot of mourners stop there for a coffee. I go because it’s a grown up coffee, away from the kids, I can have peace and quiet and think or work.

This morning I got there and half the seating was reserved. It turned out that a large portion of the seating area was being turned into a mother and baby/toddler group. Ok, fair enough but not really what you expect from a place where professionals meet. Then came the music. Loud kids music which involved clapping and singing along.

Am I being unreasonable to think they picked a totally inappropriate place and Starbucks are crazy to have arranged it?!

Why on earth would Starbucks be obliged to maintain a business-meeting-friendly atmosphere if they think they can make money from mums and babies?!

Starbucks only care about the money. I'd have turned round and left. Hopefully they'll have lost so much usual custom that morning that they never do it again!

I agree not best place

But clearly not frequented just by those working and mourning, as otherwise it would never have taken off.

Yanbu. But you'll probably be told you are.
You know Starbucks only care where the money's coming from. They're probably trialling this group.
This is what happens when councils sell off their community centres and ditch the baby groups. 🤓

Yes YABU. Why shouldn’t they meet there?

How on earth can it annoy you that a coffee shop is used by different people for different things?

YANBU and I'm not being sarcastic.

I have kids but I go to kid friendly places with them. Starbucks is for adults, it's quiet, it's peaceful it's a place to get away from children.

SOUNDS AWFUL AAAAARRRGGGHJJJJ

They are entitled to use it, but my worry would be so many children being surrounded by very hot drinks. Each to their own, im a mom but would have inwardly groaned if seeing that when wanting a quiet coffee!

They can do what the hell they want

Since when is a coffee shop a professional business meeting location- it smacks of unprofessionalism having a business meeting in public

It's coffee shop, not a library, and if outside of town it's probably dead during most of the week.

The music would annoy me but they have as much right to be there as any professional conducting a meeting.

YANBU at all.

Starbucks probably thought about the money they could get from the mums however I bet they lost a lot of customs from business meetings etc!

YABU. Why shouldn’t mums be able to meet up, drink coffee and entertain their babies?

I think people using coffee shops for business meetings are pisstakers. Hire a proper office space, stop hogging the big tables for hours with paperwork and laptops and one espresso.

Every starbucks I've been in has had highchairs and kids drinks and usually a baby change, they aren't adult spaces.

They do have a right to be there but I'd have arrived, looked and walked straight out again.

A place where professionals meet

Since when is a coffee shop a professional business meeting location- it smacks of unprofessionalism having a business meeting in public

It is incredibly common to have business meetings in public. Especially in coffee shops near big roads.

If two people who normally work from home need to have a meeting, they would normally have a meeting in a coffee shop rather than in their home.

The same if someone from London would need to have a meeting with someone from Birmingham, it is then very common (at least in my industry) to meet somewhere half way, somewhere like a coffee shop near a road!

I get ragey about selfish people with their lap tops hogging a table for 4 (even though they're alone) ALL day and buying one drink! I'm sure they made a fortune from the mums unlike the tight buggers who do this ^^^^

They have every right to be there...but Urgh, how annoying! I'd have turned around and left. I really hope my local Starbucks doesn't start pulling this shit!

Sorry ouchbollocks, X post!

YABU. Starbucks is not just for cranky old crosspatches

I think you are BU. A coffee shop is not a work place and I'd be shocked if I was invited to a business meeting in one.

Anyway, did you ask if it was just a one-off? If it's going to be a weekly thing, you might need to find somewhere else for that day.

What kind of world do people live in where they think everyone has an office to pootle off too?

It's 2018.

YANBU OP.

Sounds like the perfect opportunity to discover a nice friendly independent coffee shop. Or to buy yourself a lovely flask and make your own coffee.

Of course Mums and babies have every right to be in there but you also have the right to take your custom elsewhere. and to warn everybody else on trip advisor (half joking)