Please order water in line and don’t ask the barista at the hand off area for water when it’s busy. Heck, even when it is slow order in line. Otherwise, it doesn’t matter to us if you order just water! Bonus points if you bring your own bottle (save the earth!)

Order it in line. I love making water for customers! Bitt please do it in line ♥️

If anything it’s easier to have the ice as the cup fills up faster haha.

I would make a purchase once in a while. A snack bar or tea or something. They get scheduled hours based on sales volume. So drinking free water, using their materials (a cup and lid and especially taking up their time/energy) is not nothing, and I believe the staff is not fairly credited for it. Do you tip a small amount at least?

Habitually taking up a seat can eventually be annoying if you don't contribute to the business/staff/atmosphere that you enjoy. It's not the library.

I don’t actually know if grande is the default refill size but you can ask for no or 1/2 the water if you want a stronger tea flavor. Us baristas really aren’t going to care all that much if you want light ice or no water. It’s when someone asks for no ice AND no water that we start to hesitate especially if it’s a trenta

If you’re wondering about the hanging around without making an actual purchase, an easy to make drink to buy is an iced chai - it’s just chai, milk, ice, done. But if you’re just wondering about the ordering water thing I agree with everyone who said wait in line to order it rather than just going to the handoff plane to ask for it.

Nitro cold brew is literally the easiest thing in the world, actually easier than water

There is **nothing wrong** with just ordering an ice water and relaxing at Starbucks. Whether you want something iced or not, specify it with the Partner on register. It does not make the Barista's life harder if you want a scoop of ice or not. It **does not** take much for them to make your drink **how you want it**.

The purpose of Starbucks is to "commit to creating a culture of warmth and belonging where **everyone is welcome**. This policy is intended to help maintain the third place environment in alignment with our mission "to inspire and nurture the human spirit - one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.""

According to their **policy statement**, Starbucks's stores are meant to be "the third place, a warm and welcoming environment where customers can gather and connect. Any customer is welcome to use Starbucks spaces, including our restrooms, cafes and patios, **regardless of whether they make a purchase**."

To do your part, all you have to do is "**use spaces as intended, being considerate of others, communicating with respect, and acting responsibly**."

As others have stated, it would make the barista's shift easier if you were to order a cup of water at the register, rather than the hand-off area.