Costa slammed for 'discriminating' against students who don't buy anything
A woman studying a postgraduate degree feels 'discriminated' against by Costa Coffee after the shop put up a sign saying students could only stay for half an hour.
Francesca Franklin, 23, nipped into the high-street coffee chain for a latte but she was disgusted by a laminated sign on display, which was a 'gentle reminder' for students.
On display in the store in Selly Oak, Birmingham, the sign asked students to drink their coffee and leave within half an hour.
A staff member told Francesca they printed the note out of frustration after finding that students would sit in the store for hours, taking up room. Some of them refused to even buy a coffee.
Francesca said the note deliberately targeted students (Kennedy News and Media)
The note asked students to leave after half an hour (Kennedy News and Media)What do you think about the note? Let us know in the comments.
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The fourth-year geology student said she enjoys doing her work in the Costa Coffee shop and buys something each time she visits, but now she's been put off by the notice.
Francesca, of Birmingham, West Midlands, said: "I was quite annoyed when I saw the sign.
"I thought it was quite bad to say 'students can't go in there', there's nothing stopping anyone else from sitting in there and not buying anything, they're just targeting students.
"I feel like they're discriminating against students, they don't want students in there longer than 30 minutes.
"It says they can stay for a maximum of 30 minutes if they've bought food or drink, but it's not saying that for just 'normal' people.
Francesca often visited the coffee shop to work (Kennedy News and Media)
Francesca shared a picture of the sign on Costa and soon it was taken down (Kennedy News and Media)"I think it's tarring all students with the same brush, it's not nice."
Francesca, who's considering a career as a secondary school teacher, said the branch is her favourite and that she goes in there to work sometimes as it has good Wi-Fi.
Francesca said: "I usually go into that Costa quite a lot just to work and I went in there last week and they had that sign there, and I thought it looked kind of weird.
"I was a bit surprised. She asked me if I was a student and I just said no, I felt a bit uncomfortable to say yes.
"I asked why and she said that they've had some complaints from some of the older customers getting fed up with students sitting in there, so they put up that sign.
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"She said older people have complained that there's not enough seats for other people to sit down because students are sitting in there for hours, and some of them aren't buying something.
"I just don't really want to go back in there, I feel a bit awkward."
The master's student contacted Costa on Twitter and claims she'd been assured it will be investigated internally. As an apology and gesture of goodwill, she says she was given two free drinks vouchers.
A Costa spokesman said: "This situation was flagged to the area manager, and we can confirm that the sign has now been removed."
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