Starbucks will no longer fill your personal cup because of the coronavirus
Starbucks customers may no longer use their own cups at the coffee chain, which cited concerns about the coronavirus outbreak in announcing the change in policy.
Although that could change, there's no set date for when the personal cup opinion will return. Starbucks said it will continue to offer a 10 cent discount to people who bring in a cup or request "for here ware."
In an open letter posted on the company's blog, a Starbucks executive said the retailer is also taking other steps to halt the spread of the coronavirus. Those include sanitizing company-owned stores and restricting all business travel, both within the U.S. and abroad, until March 31. In addition, large meetings of Starbucks employees scheduled in the U.S. and Canada have been changed or postponed.
"As part of communities worldwide, we are navigating this situation with nimbleness, learning and adapting as new information is made available," wrote Rossann Williams, president of U.S. company-operated business and Canada at Starbucks.
The announcement comes two months after Starbucks said it would temporarily close 2,000 restaurants across China — roughly half of its shops in the country — due to the outbreak centered in the city of Wuhan. Starbucks has more than 4,100 stores in 168 Chinese cities, making China the company's second-largest market.
At least 11 people have died in the U.S. from the COVID-19 disease caused by the coronavirus. Globally, 93,000 cases have been confirmed, with 3,200 deaths.
Editor's note: This story was initially published with a photo of a Starbucks in China. It has been updated with a photo of Starbucks beverage containers, as that is the subject of the company's policy change in the U.S.
