New Starbucks policy: You don't need to buy their coffee to sit or use the bathroom

Starbucks issued a new policy on Saturday: Patrons no longer need to make a purchase to sit in the cafe or use the restrooms.

According to the Associated Press, Starbucks executives have claimed the old policies were "loose and ambiguous," which left the decision on whether or not people could use the bathroom or sit in the stores up to managers and employees.

"Any customer is welcome to use Starbucks spaces, including our restrooms, cafes and patios, regardless of whether they make a purchase. When using a Starbucks space, we respectfully request that customers behave in a manner that maintains a warm and welcoming environment," the policy reads.

The new policy comes just weeks after two black men, Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson, were arrested and escorted out of a Philadelphia Starbucks on April 12. The men hadn't ordered anything yet, because they were waiting for a friend to arrive.

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Protestors and backlash hit Starbucks after the incident gained massive traction on social media. Following a failed first apology, CEO Kevin Johnson issued another apology video stating, "I will fix this." 

Less than a week later, another video surfaced from Brandon Ward, who claims he was denied access to the bathroom because he hadn't purchased anything from the shop yet. In the clip, Ward approaches a white man exiting the bathroom, who says that he was given access to the bathroom despite not buying anything first.

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And on Tuesday, Starbucks issued another apology after a racial slur was written on a customer's cup in place of their name.

In response to the accusations of racial discrimination, Starbucks plans to close all of its U.S. stores on the afternoon of May 29 for racial bias training to all its employees.

Nelson and Robinson both settled with Starbucks for an undisclosed amount of money, and with the city of Philadelphia for a symbolic $1 each, along with an agreement to fund a $200,000 grant program for high schoolers wishing to be entrepreneurs.

UPDATE: May 20, 2018, 1:58 p.m. PDT This post was updated with more information from Starbucks.