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?!

I think the only people with proper “rights” to go in are those people who are going in and

-paying for coffee/snacks

-staying for a reasonable amount of time considered against what they bought. Eg one small cup of coffee=unreasonable to camp out for 2hours

-not causing a disturbance or taking up excessive space

-not requiring something unreasonable re quiet (business meetings belong in offices. Fine to use Starbucks for informal chats as long as buy something/not stay too long)

I do think a mother/toddler noisy group/sing song is a bit much. People do go to enjoy a nice cup of coffee in relative peace (not silence, but not a mad jangle of tonnes of toddlers either). I would go elsewhere or not go anywhere if I encountered that kind of racket in a Starbucks.

I have to say I was in Starbucks a few weeks ago and there was a Mum's group with some toddlers running around. Unfortunately a women on her own balancing a tray walking towards a table accidently poured a hot coffee over a rampaging toddler who knocked into her.

The Mum's literally surrounded her screaming that she should have been looking where she was going etc. The staff were clueless and I left before it was all resolved but I guess this sort of set up is literally an accident waiting to happen.

Not very private though is it, discussing results in a busy chain coffee shop?

Surely that's for us to judge? We're having a chat, not doing a full on powerpoint presentation.

I have an office and meeting room, but frequently meet people far away from either my office or theirs - a "meet in the middle" situation. Hiring a meeting room for a couple of hours to meet one person isn't either necessary or justified. And it doesn't 'feel' right for the type of one-on-one meeting I have. The conversations need to be relatively informal because of the nature of the discussion, so a discussion over Diet Coke coffee is best.

However I would not ever use a coffee shop or similar for this purpose, for the exact reason outlined in the OP - you can't guarantee it will be quiet and you'll be able to spend a decent amount of time undisturbed and having a private conversation.

I always meet in nice hotels - in the middle of the day there is always a quiet corner of a bar or lounge - you get table service usually, can set up a tab and settle in for a couple of hours.

I'm sure they made a fortune from the mums

In my experience (as a Mum in one of these groups) Mums tend to bring lunches for the kids, claim their free baby chino's, and then nurse one coffee for an hour.

zeezeek - if the student is happy discussing their results in a busy coffee shop, rather than in private, then of course it is fine. I must remember to ask my sister if she's ever taken students to do that actually (tangent)

I mean results from their postgraduate research - undergraduates can chat to me about their exam results through making an appt. Sorry, I should have explained that!!

Brenda - so agree with you. I often go to Starbucks 0730 have a quick coffee and pastry and then go to work. It often sets me up for the day. When I have had to meet a colleague in the middle of the day its often full of groups of Mum's and the place often looks like a midden!

No one's suggested they have meetings at McDonalds, don't be silly.

Ours is full of bloody students on the free wifi for ten hours with one espresso. I would prefer the baby group.

minniemoll
Mums and babies en masse would irritate me although I'd put up with it, but the music would have me taking to my heels and running far far away. Completely inappropriate in an adult space.

Who says it's an adult space? Obviously not the Starbucks who hosted a musical baby morning.

Oblomov18
I wish mother and toddler groups would set up somewhere where they don't disturb others, say a village hall. I don't want to listen to baby singing etc, on the rare occasion I go for a coffee.

Diddums.

I do have kids which is why I value a kid free coffee

But you aren't entitled to a kid free coffee, so its just tough luck

*No one's suggested they have meetings at McDonalds, don't be silly.
Why is that any sillier than Starbucks? What's the difference? Other than the coffee is better at McDonalds.

PNGirl Last time I went to the library to work on my laptop it coincided with baby music group! Quiet it was not!

While I don't think I have a compelling argument for why coffee shops shouldn't host toddler groups, I know I would choose to go elsewhere if I was meeting a friend for a natter, especially during the week. I'd always expect them to be a bit more chaotic during the weekend or just after school.

I guess they'll find what market gives them the most profit and stick with that. If it doesn't suit then find somewhere else.

Why is Starbucks for adults only and meetings? Am I missing something ? Surely it's for anyone?

It’s up to them but I do think it’s unwise.
They will get more revenue from working people coming in daily than occasional coffee mornings.

I’m pretty sure that Starbucks abandoned any claim to be “an adult space” the day they formed a symbiotic relationship with the NCT. I spent a lot of time and money there when I was bfing (because I was drinking their drinkable hot chocolate as opposed to their not so drinkable coffee).

Starbucks’entire business model is based around being a place to hang out, whether that’s with teenaged friends, or for informal business meetings, an NCT meeting or a knitting circle. The extortionate cost of their disgusting coffee is 75% made up of rent for the comfy chairs. Where those groups are in competition with each other then it’s like a David Attenborough documentary.

Compare and contrast Pret A Manger whose store design positively screams “take your tasty food, eat it quickly, then bugger off”.

Slopes off... in misery.....

No one's suggested they have meetings at McDonalds, don't be silly

Why is McDonalds "silly" but Starbucks not? I class them as very similar venues & not somewhere I'd conduct business....

On a different note, Starbucks can't win can they? On one hand they get called a faceless corporation sucking money in, on the other hand they get slated for making themselves more community friendly & hosting local events for local people.....

There are some miserable twats about!! If you don't like it, vote with your feet - if they notice any difference in takings they'll soon stop it...

That would drive me bonkers Op. However it also drives me mad when people hold business meetings in cafes or do business in general. In my gym, people sit in the supposedly quiet adults only area and do this. I seriously don't want to hear people chase clients or have a moan in their meeting about PITA customers.

Ivy and others, I don't mean it'd be silly to have a meeting at McDonalds; I mean it was silly of Piffle to say that because no one on here has mentioned having meetings at McDonalds.

I think feminism has passed you by

what a ridiculous comment. You don't seem to go out that much if you are so blissfully ignorant of the real world, business or non-business. You are of course entitled to your opinion, but you have clearly no experience of what happens in the real world.

I’m not a parent (ttc) and I don’t go to Starbucks, but if Costa did this I would be really chuffed for the local mums and dads. Decent cup of coffee and be able to make new friends. Music is great for everyone so I’d also be happy that they were encouraging it to young children.

I would be more unimpressed at having to speak at a whisper while having a coffee so an not to disturb someone’s ‘business meeting’ and getting tutted at!

I bet most posters would have a fit if they knew their DH was meeting someone for a drink in a bar or pub

Why? Where else would he meet someone for a drink?