Posted on 09/18/2013 6:18:11 AM PDT by Uncle Miltie
Starbucks says guns are no longer welcome in its cafes, though it is stopping short of an outright ban on firearms.
The fine line that the retailer is walking to address the concerns of both gun rights and gun control advocates reflects how heated the issue has become, particularly in light of recent mass shootings.
Most states allow people to openly carry licensed guns in some way and many companies do not have policies banning firearms in their stores. But Starbucks has become a target for gun control advocates, in part because of its liberal-leaning corporate image. In turn, gun rights advocates have been galvanized by the company's decision to defer to local laws.
In an interview with The Associated Press, CEO Howard Schultz said the decision to ask customers to stop bringing guns into stores came as a result of the growing frequency of "Starbucks Appreciation Days" in recent months, in which gun rights advocates turn up at Starbucks cafes with firearms.
Last month, for example, the company closed down a store in Newtown, Conn., for the day after learning that gun rights advocates planned to hold a "Starbucks Appreciation Day" at the location. The store was near the school where a gunman killed 20 children and six women.
Schultz said the events mischaracterized the company's stance on the issue and the demonstrations "have made our customers uncomfortable."
Schultz hopes people will honor the request not to bring in guns but says the company will nevertheless serve those who do.
"We will not ask you to leave," he said.
The Seattle-based company plans to buy ad space in major national newspapers including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and USA Today on Thursday to run an open letter from Schultz explaining the decision to not implement a ban.
"Why? Because we want to give responsible gun owners the chance to respect our request - and also because enforcing a ban would potentially require our partners to confront armed customers, and that is not a role I am comfortable asking Starbucks partners to take on," Schultz says in a copy of the letter provided to CBS News.
The letter points to recent activities by both gun rights and gun control advocates at its stores, saying that it has been "thrust unwillingly" into the middle of the national debate over firearms.
As for the "Starbucks Appreciation Days" being staged by gun rights advocates, it stresses: "To be clear: we do not want these events in our stores."
But the letter notes that Starbucks is standing by its position that the matter should ultimately be left to lawmakers.
The AP was provided a picture of a memo to Starbucks employees on Tuesday. Partners are instructed not to confront customers or ask them to leave solely for carrying a weapon.
Several companies do not allow firearms in their stores, however, apparently with little trouble. Representatives for Peet's Coffee & Tea and Whole Foods, for example, said there haven't been any problems with enforcing their gun bans.
Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, which was formed the day after the Newtown shooting, has been organizing "Skip Starbucks Saturdays" to urge the coffee company to ban guns at its stores. Participants take photos of themselves at competitors such as Peet's that do not allow guns and post them online.
Shannon Watts, founder of the gun reform group, noted that Starbucks has taken strong stances on other issues. Earlier this year, for example, the company banned smoking within 25 feet of its stores, wherever its leases allowed. The idea was to extend its no-smoking policy to the outdoor seating areas.
"There's a big difference in the connotation of someone holding a gun and someone holding a cigarette," Schultz said.
In the meantime, Starbucks has become a symbol for advocates of gun rights. A website now even sells products bearing an altered version of the Starbucks logo, with the siren holding up a gun in each hand with the words "I Love Guns & Coffee."
I just like a good cup of coffee and do not think I get that at Starbucks..It is sad though I can’t enjoy a good jelly donut with the coffee..Can’t have sugar even though the great smells are all around I still get my coffee..LOL!
Most states allow people to openly carry licensed guns in some way and many companies do not have policies banning firearms in their stores.Most states allow licensed people to carry concealed, and a FEW states allow open carrying of firearms. But most states absolutely do NOT allow people to openly carry.
There’s nothing like that fresh-baked bakery smell, lol.
They don't enforce gun bans. They rely on voluntary compliance by law-abiding citizens. They have absolutely ZERO means of enforcing their cute little feel-good gun bans on the people who would use a gun to harm others.
That is a misconception that is common among the low information public. Most Starbucks stores are frequented by a demographic typical to the local community. You go into a Starbucks in Texas (outside of Austin) and you will probably find mostly conservative middle class professionals and possibly college students. If you were to poll the political leanings of the clientele you will probably find about a 60% or more right-of-center leaning position, which is representative of the local community. If you happen to choose a store in Austin, or in downtown Houston, that would probably flip the other way based on the liberal leanings of those communities.
the disruption are usually by someone calling the cops who subsequently make a disturbance
In Seattle or Chicago or Manattan that is probably the case, but in the heartland your typical Starbucks customer is a typical heartlander. So here in the DFW area in Texas that dichotomy does not hold up.
Except for homo-marriage. They are all-in on that platform.
Apparently the CEO of a Coffee company has no idea how many cops visit his establishment, both in and out of uniform. He needs to visit some stores more often...
They have no problem supporting and wading into homosexual unions, even going so far as to endorse via monetary support, but want to remain neutral on the gun issue. I think they should sell coffee and be quiet on everything else.
Okay, and we won’t bring our money either.
>>>Carry concealed if you have a permit, if not, get one.<<<
The CEOs letter asked that NO GUNS be brought in stores, concealed or otherwise. Starbucks does not recognize your permit.
And even if SB did allow concealed carry, should an American citizen with the God-given, Constitutional right to keep and bear arms go get a permit that he/she isn’t otherwise required to get, to be allowed to buy this Libtard’s overprived coffee?
YUMMY!!!
That's a good point - I live in NYC, so perhaps my perception is shaded by the typical clientele around here. However, as true as that is with regard to an individual Starbucks store, Starbucks stores tend to be more concentrated (both in absolute terms and per capita) in urban and coastal areas. There are some exceptions (Texas is a big one), but that is the overall trend. So, in the aggregate, I would still think that their customers are more left-of-center than the U.S. population as a whole, perhaps significantly so.
Duncan Donuts is the finest coffee. Ever. Tried Stabucks once because somebody really wanted to go. I hate burned coffee.
Yep, they make a good cup of coffee. Very sad that the only DD near my work was flooded out in Sandy, and has not reopened.
According to his statement, law enforcement personnel are exempt from the "request":
"Our company’s longstanding approach to “open carry” has been to follow local laws: we permit it in states where allowed and we prohibit it in states where these laws don’t exist. We have chosen this approach because we believe our store partners should not be put in the uncomfortable position of requiring customers to disarm or leave our stores. We believe that gun policy should be addressed by government and law enforcement—not by Starbucks and our store partners.
"Recently, however, we’ve seen the “open carry” debate become increasingly uncivil and, in some cases, even threatening. Pro-gun activists have used our stores as a political stage for media events misleadingly called “Starbucks Appreciation Days” that disingenuously portray Starbucks as a champion of “open carry.” To be clear: we do not want these events in our stores. Some anti-gun activists have also played a role in ratcheting up the rhetoric and friction, including soliciting and confronting our customers and partners.
"For these reasons, today we are respectfully requesting that customers no longer bring firearms into our stores or outdoor seating areas—even in states where “open carry” is permitted—unless they are authorized law enforcement personnel.
What authority is granted to law enforcement personnel that is superior to the Constitution's Bill Of Rights for citizens?
Well, it is their business and they can make whatever rule they like. What if it had urged customers to not bring their homosexuality into Starbucks?
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