Man alleges ageism after getting banned from Starbucks for asking teen barista on date
SPOKANE, Wash. -- A 37-year-old man says he was banned from a Starbucks in Washington state after asking a 16-year-old barista out to dinner, CBS Spokane affiliate KREM reports.
The man, who was not identified by KREM since he has not been charged with a crime, said he was at Starbucks in Spokane last week and wrote a note asking out a barista.
“I was flirted with by a barista. For some reason she thought I was funny. Said I was funny. So I gave her a note to see if she’d be interested in dinner,” the man wrote in a Facebook post.
He said that when he went back the next day, a police officer told him he was banned from the Starbucks.
Spokane police said businesses are allowed to refuse service to people for as long as they see fit. But the man says he’s facing discrimination due to his age.
“I know the female Starbucks barista was of legal age to date,” the man said. “I broke no laws. I merely took a chance with my heart. I’m tired of hearing the word ‘creep’ as any black person or gay person is tired of hearing certain words. I have a whole webpage dedicated to age gap love.”
He asked his friends on Facebook to call Starbucks and complain -- but the request was met with opposition.
Many people took to the Spokane Starbucks’ Facebook page to praise the store for barring the man from the location.
“I have never been so proud to be a Starbucks customer!” one user wrote. “As a teen I had to deal with similar issues working in a restaurant as a hostess. It is an uncomfortable position no girl want to be put in. Thank you so much for supporting your employees.”
A Starbucks spokesperson said, “We have no tolerance for any such inappropriate behavior or harassment, and we will continue to support our store partners and local authorities investigating the situation.”