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?!

[Aspatria]

You wouldn't take a client to Starbucks, would you?

yes, I would and I do. I am female, so I don't take male clients out for evening drinks unless I know them very well. Coffees or lunches work wonderfully.

[BerkInBag]

I don't meet people professionally for coffee. It's extremely unprofessional.

No it isn't. I often meet with clients and contacts over a coffee (admittedly not in Starbucks) rather than in the office at my desk or in the conference room.

Also, some people who are extremely busy or on the road may have no other choice to meet somewhere like Starbucks now and then.

[A580Hojas]

Yanbu, yanbu at all. I would be mighty pissed off if I made a special journey for a coffee to find the place overrun with toddlers and babies and singing Mummies! awful.

[restbiterepeat]

I think that's fine. I don't begrudge people getting on with work when they are at Starbucks bit I object to the idea that they are entitled to an environment conducive to work.

[A580Hojas]

Millions of people work for themselves or work from home. They aren't likely to hire office space for the occasional casual meeting.

[MissDuke]

I would have been annoyed too op, I also wouldn't expect to see this in Starbucks. Mind you, I bloody hate it in there!

I went to our local library a few times to get peace from my children to revise for uni exams and found there was always some kind of social event on - whether it be for children or elderly ladies knitting (they were nosier than the children!). It did piss me off and I haven't been back since, but I do of course get that they do what they can to get bums on seats. Doesn't mean we cannot get pissed off by it though!

[Only1scoop]

Yanbu

That would spoil my moccachino

[hibbledibble]

Yabu. Coffee shops are for everyone.

Locally all our coffee shops do baby song times: they are very popular.

Yabu to go to Starbucks too. Its vile, overpriced, full of additives, and they are tax dodgers. I only go to independent cafes

[citybzg]

DID Starbucks organise it though? Or did the mums just turn up?

If the former ask for a refund

Based on what?

Ffs people really make me laugh.

[imnotreally]

I have three kids. Starbucks isn’t a place I take them to.

Totally agree about the one coffee laptop table hoggers. Tho maybe Starbucks shouldn’t provide free WiFi if they don’t want them there?

Loud mouthed people on the phone are at least entertaining. The one this morning gave out her sons date of birth, school, her full address and phone number. School are having problems managing his special needs apparently and she was told to wait til Christmas for it to settle down.

[Aspatria]

Ivymaud
Starbucks is perfectly fine, sometimes it would actually be weird to take a client to Claridge's or other Savoy. I haven't lost any business by meeting someone in Starbucks so far.

[jay55]

Most larger Starbucks I’ve been in have had signs up saying areas can be reserved.

They have a link with nct to provide child friendly spaces. I’d not expect a music group and wouldn’t stay if one rocked up but can’t see a problem with them hosting one. Given family friendly is one of their aims.
www.nct.org.uk/get-involved/corporate-partnerships/who-we-work/starbucks

[Hillarious]

missperegrinespeculiar is quite right. For me, the most important part of going to a coffee shop is to get a decent cup of coffee. I would put up with a lot of noise for excellent coffee. Starbucks need to hang on to business somehow!

[imnotreally]

Now a knitting group i’d go for. Well, crochet group

There are quite often a group of new mums with babies in car seats there at that time so I suppose someone thought they’d take advantage of that. Just could have done with some warning I suppose.

[HannaSolo]

I'm kind of with you OP.

It's a coffee shop not a crèche.

That's said it's also a public place, so I'd have no objection (or think it would be reasonable to object) to a group of mothers meeting up for a coffee and cake with their small (well behaved ie not running around threatening to hurt others and themselves with hot drinks) children with them.

The part I wouldn't like is the music/singing. It impinges on the whole environment.

However, ultimately it's the right of the branch to to what's best for business and if this is sufficiently profitable that's up to them. I'd just have turned around and gone elsewhere but wouldn't have gone to Starbucks anyway as am with pp's in boycotting them over tax evasion.

[AlpacaPicnic]

I once emptied the top floor of a starbucks by holding a toddler singing session in there.
It was at Starbucks request that I go, they actively advertised it and everything

I have the sudden urge to rename Rhyme Time as Nursery rhymes and maracas batshittery...

[BerkInBag]

I was talking about the venue of Starbucks, and similar places, it would look unprofessional.

In some situations perhaps - if I was a Private Banker looking to entice a wealthy couple to invest their millions with me I wouldn't ask them to meet me in Costa - but there are many situations where a catch-up meeting in a coffee shop is acceptable. It's a wide world out there you know all sorts of stuff is going on.

[Aspatria]

looking at the clientele in my local Costas etc, many people don't seem to agree with you, and find the coffee shops very suitable.

Boardrooms are fine for a full-on presentations, coffee shops are great for a more informal meeting. It works fine, and being able to meet at pretty much anytime from early morning to late afternoon is a bonus.

[eastlondoner]

I'm sure you know you're being unreasonable!

[RhiannonOHara]

I'm not sure why people are putting the words business meetings and work in sneer quotes. I have been involved in both in cafes. Without quotes. I'm sure this isn't uncommon.

[dutysuite]

I avoid Starbucks anyway, I really don't like their coffee.