Fury as homeless man removed from store
A CITY centre Starbucks has outraged Glasgow residents after staff refused to serve a homeless man and ejected him from the premises.
Members of the public have expressed fury after the man was asked to leave the Buchanan Street store despite having money to purchase a sandwich.
The incident, which took place at 8pm on Thursday, was shared on Facebook by outraged customer Ed Cheung, whose friend had given the man money to purchase food.
Speaking to the Evening Times, Ed said: “It was clear the guy was in need of help.
“The gentleman approached a few people asking for change as he was hungry.
“My friend gave him money and he took a sandwich and began to queue.
“A member of staff approached him. I actually thought the staff member was assisting the gentleman. Not even within 10 seconds he was gone.
“I turned to see the man storming up the street after a member of staff had escorted him from the premises, despite the fact he was willing to pay.”
A Starbucks spokesman said: “We want to provide a warm and welcoming place for everyone in our stores. The safety and security of our partners (employees) and customers is always our highest priority.
“Our team has worked with the local police on this recurring issue and we fully support our partners’ approach in resolving a difficult situation.”