Starbucks has what you might call a draconian dress code: black or white polo shirts only, black or tan pants, obligatory-at-all-times green apron, plus no perfumes, no non-ear piercings, and never, ever, under any circumstances, even if it’s a tiny little heart on your hand, a tattoo. Top brass in Seattle have been “revisiting” that last rather severe prohibition, though, and it looks like you may start seeing body art on your baristas when you go in to pick up your Oprah Chai.
A rep points to the potential shift in company policy as one way Starbucks is incorporating suggestions posted on a special state-of-Starbucks-morale Facebook page. It asked employees, among other things, how to “strike the right balance between self-expression and professionalism,” and baristas complained how in certain geographic areas, it’s “rare to see someone without a tattoo,” so their own “help us connect to fellow tattooed customers.” Awww. It’s unclear how much the tattooed and Pumpkin Spice Latte–ordering subcultures necessarily overlap, but this is great news for everyone with mermaid or Frappuccino ink.
