Seattle man says good deed was foiled by Starbucks because guest was shoeless

SEATTLE — A Seattle man says his good deed was foiled by coffee-giant Starbucks -- all because his guest had no shoes on.

Ty Jenkins says his Christian faith propels him to help the homeless when possible.

"There's a need to be met and I was blessed enough where I could meet that need," he told KIRO 7 News.

That's what the Seattle man did when he saw a woman who was wearing only socks on her feet walking near the Starbucks at South Weller Street and 5th Avenue South at about 6:30 a.m. Friday.

"I said 'ma'am are you hungry?’ she said ‘I don't have any money.’ I said, ‘Don't worry about it. Come on, let me get you something to eat.’"

Jenkins says the woman was coherent and picked out a bacon, egg and cheese muffin, and a drink at the counter, but before he could pay a barista walked up to the woman.

"And he says, ‘I'm sorry but you can't be in here. You don't have any shoes on. It's unsanitary.’ And this lady's mouth just dropped and I said, ‘Sir, I'm buying her a meal.’ And he goes, ‘I understand but it's still unsanitary she'll have to wait outside."

The woman was then forced to leave the store and eat the food that the good Samaritan bought, outside in the patio area.

"I've been to Starbucks many times and have had dogs in there -- not only service animals but other dogs -- and that's unsanitary, but a human being who's eating needs a warm place to eat her food is unsanitary. It didn't make any sense to me," said Jenkins.

Jenkins said the woman told him and the barista someone stole her shoes.

Customer reaction has been mixed.

"Let her stay and eat. The guy was trying to be nice," Stephanie Hall, of Alaska, said.

Juan Pedro Rivera said he was homeless until this week.

“The barista, the ignorant person that did it, I would have them retrained," he said.

KIRO 7 News asked Starbucks for an interview. A spokesman declined but sent this statement:

"Our store partners are always committed to delivering the best possible customer service, and ensuring the health and safety of our customers. In this instance one of our partners did respectfully let this customer know that, due to cleanliness issues in the store, she would need to wear shoes in the store. The homelessness crisis in Seattle and abroad is an issue our partners see every day and they strive to handle those moments with empathy, understanding and care. For many of our partners in King County, the time in the stores isn't enough, as they often volunteer time outside of work to help those in need."

We did not see a dress code policy online and outside the store. We did see a holiday ad reading: Be Good to Each Other.

Jenkins says while he won't shop at Starbucks anymore, he will continue to live by these very words.

"I kid you not: That was the best $6 I've ever spent in my life because it fed that young lady," he said.

The spokesman for Starbucks told us, the company's policy is legal stating that customers with no shoes on can pose a sanitary concern and therefore can be asked to leave.