In a viral TikTok video, a former Starbucks worker allegedly exposes her dirty workplace, attributing it to understaffing and a prioritization of cutting labor costs.
“This is where y’all getting your coffee from,” the text overlay reads, revealing images on uncleaned items.
The video, shared by user @gabbyr444, shows images of coffee stains on the counter, residue in the milk pitchers, and grime in and around the floor drains.
With over 2 million views, the video sparked debate in the comments about who was at fault.
Several users placed the blame on the TikToker and her co-workers.
“Soooo basically you didn’t do your job … all you gotta do is clean it and poof it’s gone lol,” one user said.
“Just looks like y’all didn’t do clean play or close the store correctly…,” another said.
Even other Starbucks workers argued that since their stores were always clean, it must be the fault of the workers.
“Not my store…. we actually do our clean plays & clean all day.. yall be safe tho,” one user said.
“Nah that means y’all lazy, cause the stores I work at don’t be looking like this,” another said.
However, the TikToker made a follow-up video addressing these responses, noting that her store was often too understaffed.
“Let me not even defend my work ethic,” she says. “Let me defend the people who work for this company who are working six- or seven-person floors with only three people, because of call-outs, isolation, whatever the case may be, having to keep all operations open, being overworked, understaffed, worried about how we’re even going to get the store closed on time, let alone deep clean the entire store.”
She notes that the manager at her location stopped scheduling clean plays, or scheduled time after closing dedicated to deep cleaning the store, in order to cut down labor costs.
“When I left, my manager hadn’t scheduled a clean play in like two months, because cutting labor was a priority over the cleanliness of the store,” she says. “It’s a staffing issue. It’s a scheduling issue. It is not a work ethic issue, so next time, try to be a little more understanding.”
The Daily Dot reached out to user @gabbyr444 via Instagram direct message and Starbucks via email.
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