Starbucks asks the children to "Leave the toys at home"

Starbucks Guns Policy: Coffee Chain Asks Patrons To Leave Weapons At Home (VIDEO)

Starbucks Appreciation Day events "disingenuously portray Starbucks as a champion of 'open carry.' To be clear: we do not want these events in our stores," he said in the open letter.

"We've seen the 'open carry' debate become increasingly uncivil and, in some cases, even threatening," Schultz wrote, noting that "some anti-gun activists have also played a role in ratcheting up the rhetoric and friction," at times soliciting and confronting employees and patrons.

"We found ourselves in a position where advocates on both sides of the issue were using Starbucks as a staging ground for their own political position," he told Reuters.

"I'm not worried we're going to lose customers over this," Schultz said, noting he and others at Starbucks considered the concerns of customers, employees and investors. "I feel like I've made the best decision in the interest of our company."

I know how tempting it is to want to show off your Red Ryder/Mattel "Fanner-50" double-action, semi-automatic toys with the leg-tie-down-strap and all... But I guess Starbucks has had enough of "show-and-tell" at their stores.....

I don't understand why this is some big news story

I'm sure Starbucks doesn't want any kind of toxic debates in their stores, they want to sell coffee in peace. As if it's a common accurance to see people carrying openly anyway.

Good point Rick, I have never seen someone open carrying at a Starbucks, not even in the mountains.

Rick wrote: I don't understand why this is some big news story

I'm sure Starbucks doesn't want any kind of toxic debates in their stores, they want to sell coffee in peace. As if it's a common accurance to see people carrying openly anyway.

I agree Starbucks is in business to sell coffee. They still allows guns, but prefer that you to carry concealed if so licensed. They will even serve you and let you stay if you open carry, but prefer you not. They could have just banned guns altogether, so I think this was a good compromise. Their store, their rules, but again they are not banning guns.

gmule wrote:

Rick wrote: I don't understand why this is some big news story

I'm sure Starbucks doesn't want any kind of toxic debates in their stores, they want to sell coffee in peace. As if it's a common accurance to see people carrying openly anyway.

I agree Starbucks is in business to sell coffee. They still allows guns, but prefer that you to carry concealed if so licensed. They will even serve you and let you stay if you open carry, but prefer you not. They could have just banned guns altogether, so I think this was a good compromise. Their store, their rules, but again they are not banning guns.

I just don't see what LJ is all giddy about. I doubt the .001% of the population that wants to open carry in a Starbucks is going to be very devistated.

Honestly, I am more than a little disappointed at how some of the open carry crowd display their firearms. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. If I had my way everyone would be able to carry concealed without a permit. That would eliminate all of the confrontations from both sides of the issue.

gmule wrote: Honestly, I am more than a little disappointed at how some of the open carry crowd display their firearms. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. If I had my way everyone would be able to carry concealed without a permit. That would eliminate all of the confrontations from both sides of the issue.

Agreed, I see no benefit in displaying a weapon in public either... especially when there are so many anti-gun nuts who are likely to freak out when they see one of these evil pieces of metal.

Exactly, some hipster dude stealing Wi-Fi will call the police on his phone about the visible gun. And then the Baristas will have to give the officers free espressos for stopping by. And then LJ will refuse to go in the store to buy her Americano because the Sheriff's Department is openly displaying their weapons. Chaos will ensue.
BTW, LJ you haven't been reading your liberal boycott lists: #friendsdontletfriendsdrinkstarbucks.
Support your local independent coffee shop with free trade coffee.

I also haven't patronized a Starbucks in over two years... Gee, one MORE thing you're wrong about....

...And that list just continues to grow....

(By the way, my "liberal boycott list" gets automatically refreshed every 15 minutes on the app on my iPhone. It will even scan barcodes and tell me which paper products have a connection to the Koch Brothers... It's called "Buycott", in case anyone is interested...)