A Starbucks employee and TikTok user has sparked discussion after claiming he was the only person working at his Starbucks location.
In a video posted to TikTok, Mel (@divameld) shows an empty store in which he is the only worker.
“When you’re the only one at work,” Mel writes in his video, which shows an empty Starbucks store.
@divameld #starbucks #starbucksbarista ♬ Chill Day – LAKEY INSPIRED
In the comments section, Mel notes that other employees showed up later in the day, but that wasn’t enough to keep the store open.
“Had 2 more people show up, but just closed it down cuz that wasn’t gonna work,” he wrote.
He also noted that their store recently had issues that prevented a full opening, meaning that employees would likely only be working the drive-thru.
However, several commenters noted that Mel alone should not be expected to work the entire store.
“How do you go on break?” questioned a commenter.
“I would legit report the manager to ur DM and then corporate,” added another. “That is illegal as hell esp w no breaks.” (Working alone is generally legal, though it may violate company policy).
“Wait how do you run this?” asked a third. “I work in a target starbucks and even having only 3 people is scary af.”
While many users were against the idea of Mel working the store alone, it appears to be a relatively common occurrence.
In March 2022, another TikTok user posted a video in which they claimed that they were also tasked with operating their Starbucks location by themselves. Other users on Reddit have also stated that they’ve been forced to work alone, with some alleging that this occurred after just two weeks of training.
Back on TikTok, Mel shared that he was committed to his job, even if that meant working by himself.
As he put it in a comment, “I’ll get those drinks out until my last breath… alone if I must.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Starbucks via email and Mel via TikTok comment.
Update 9:30am CT April 25: In an email to the Daily Dot, a Starbucks spokesperson shared the following: “For the safety of our partners, Starbucks requires two partners to be present in-store at all times.”
The company also shared a passage from its Store Operations Manual. “All stores must open with a minimum of two partners,” it reads. “Partners who are opening should enter the store together…[and] The store must be closed with a minimum of two partners so that no one is left in the store alone… The closing partners must leave the store together.”
“Only in limited instances when it is unsafe for an opening partner to wait outside the store alone—and there is no alternative space to wait—an opening partner may enter the store alone. In that instance, they are to communicate concerns to their district manager,” the spokesperson continued. “The Store Operations Manual specifically states: “Single entry into closed stores is not regularly permitted except in pre-approved situations which require approval by the district manager.” Our policies do not allow for one partner to remain in the store alone during store operating hours or when closing.”
“Should a partner choose to, or be required to, leave the store for any reason that would result in only one partner remaining in-store, the appropriate Shift Supervisor or “play caller” is required to notify the store manager and follow appropriate store closing protocols to maintain the safety and security of all partners,” they concluded.
