Business & Tech
Starbucks Has Gun Control Supporters Up in Arms
"Skip Starbucks Saturday" wants folks to boycott the coffee chain on Aug. 24 to force a change in the company's guns allowed policy.
![](https://patch.com/img/cdn/users/112920/2013/08/raw/60b1ccb20ee1c63daca594e85914559e.png)
Gun control supporters are hoping Starbucks coffee lovers will join their cause this Saturday, Aug. 24 by foregoing caffeine fixes to send a message to the national chain with locations in the Westchase area.
“Skip Starbucks Saturday” says the company’s policy of allowing people to tote guns in the store if state law permits it is part of the gun control problem, according to USAToday.com. They’re aiming to fix that staging the national boycott.
"Many moms are unaware that if they take their children to Starbucks, their children may be standing next to a customer who has a loaded weapon," Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, was quoted by USA Today as saying.
Find out what's happening in Westchasewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Starbucks allows guns in its stores in 43 states, including Florida, where a woman was shot in St. Petersburg in May after another customer dropped her purse, causing the gun inside to go off.
Find out what's happening in Westchasewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Moms Demand Action also has a petition drive going to get Starbucks' attention. Check it out on the nonprofit's website.
What do you think about Starbucks’ policy, Westchase? Share your thoughts by commenting below!
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.