PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Starbucks is changing course when it comes to its open door policy.

The company no longer lets anyone hang around or use its restrooms without making a purchase. It’s a business move that some say could have unintended consequences of racial bias, reminiscent of an incident that put a Philadelphia Starbucks in the national spotlight.

RELATED: Starbucks is lifting open-door policy implemented after an incident at a Philadelphia store

The new policy was outlined in a memo sent to Starbucks stores. It details what the chain calls a new code of conduct that “makes it clear that our spaces, including our cafes, terraces and restrooms, are intended for the use of paying customers and our partners.”

“It’s a very, very risky move,” said Temple University’s Subodha Kumar, Paul R. Anderson Distinguished Chair and professor of statistics, operations and data science at the Fox School of Business.

Kumar researches business politics and their impact.

“Of course some customers will feel safer,” he said of Starbucks’ new policy, “but there’s a second type that just won’t come because they feel like it’s not going to be a welcoming environment.”

One of the concerns is that the policy could encourage bias. Starbucks faced this situation back in April 2018, when two black men were arrested after sitting in a Starbucks at 18th and Spruce Streets in Rittenhouse Square without purchasing anything.

The incident sparked widespread protest and political change. After the incident, Starbucks reiterated its open-door policy and said people would not have to purchase anything to use the space.

This new policy is a U-turn.

“There could be an inherent culture of discrimination,” Kumar said. “If employees are not trained and simply implement this policy, it can be harmful because different employees can treat customers very differently.”

According to the memo, each store will receive up to three hours of training on the new policies, which also aim to encourage paying customers to stay longer by offering free refills of hot coffee or iced coffee. It’s a move to boost profits for the coffee company, which has seen a decline in sales.

With some stores citing safety concerns, Starbucks says the new guidelines are part of its mission to “come back to Starbucks and create the warm and inviting coffeehouse our customers expect.”

Experts like Kumar simply hope that Starbucks pays close attention to the impact on the coffee chain and its customers.

“My only concern is that they were thinking about the unintended consequences,” Kumar said. “I think it can lead to a lot of new problems that we’re not even thinking about right now.”

Action News spoke with Dante Robinson, one of the two men arrested at the Center City Starbucks on 18th and Spruce in 2018.

We asked him for his thoughts on the new policy. He declined to discuss the new policy, saying he had put the situation behind him. He and the other man arrested, Rashon Nelson, reached a settlement with Starbucks and the city of Philadelphia.

As for Starbucks’ new policy requiring customers to purchase something to go to the bathroom or hang it in the dining area, stores may soon post signs detailing the new customer code of conduct.