Starbucks - Westgate at Westgate

It's a Starbucks! This outlet is situated at Westgate shopping mall Level 2, very near the entrance to Jurong East MRT gantries. Place used to have air-conditioned and non air-conditioned sections. Now it's all air-conditioned. Gets very crowded during peak hours. Crowds were mix of working class and students. Came for the Grapefruit Passion Jewel, it turned out to be a kind of fruity bubble tea (using pearl jellies). Taste was okay, rather sweet. Service crews were friendly, wait time was short. Place was spacious and clean. Baby seats are available. Room sits approximately 65 pax.

I am writing this review with deep disappointment after a shocking experience of clear discrimination at this Starbucks (Westgate, 608532) on Monday, November 18th, around 7:30 PM. The issues began at the counter. I asked the male barista about the tea options since they weren't clearly listed. His response was extremely impatient; he just pointed vaguely at the tea pots without a word of explanation. To add insult to injury, he abruptly switched from English to Chinese mid-interaction, despite me speaking to him in English perfectly fine. This was condescending and unprofessional. The situation escalated when the male manager singled me out. Shortly after I sat down, he came to my table and told me I couldn't have my externally purchased water bottle on the table (I wasn't even drinking from it). When I questioned this, he insisted. However, I immediately noticed a middle-aged man at a nearby table who also had an outside water bottle on his table, and the manager completely ignored him. When I tried to point out this unfair and targeted enforcement of the rules, the manager refused to engage in a constructive conversation, dismissed my concerns, and walked away rudely without any apology. As a young Chinese woman, I am convinced that I was treated this way because of my race, age, and gender. The selective rule enforcement and the condescending language switch are clear indicators of bias. I do not feel safe or welcome at this location. I would caution other customers, especially young women and people of color, to be aware of the discriminatory behavior practiced by the management here. There are other Starbucks locations that value all customers equally..

The food and generally nice. But my recent counter was unpleasant. They had recently implemented the 1-hr time limit in the store. My family arrived at around 10 a.m., ordered their food, and began eating. I joined them about 45 minutes later. When I was about to place my own order, one of the staff members stopped me and said that we had to leave after one hour from the time my family first ordered. I explained that I was a new customer and that the one-hour duration should reasonably start from my own order, with my family simply accompanying me. The staff member said he understood but insisted that this was the rule, adding that he would “show leniency” by allowing us to continue eating. I found this explanation both inconsistent and unreasonable. I would appreciate it if this rule could be reviewed for fairness and clarity.