SEATTLE - It gives new meaning to getting an extra shot in your latte. Starbucks said it will stick to its policy of letting customers carry guns where it's legal. It does not want to be put in the middle of a larger gun-control debate.
The company's statement, issued Wednesday, was prompted by a campaign by some gun owners who have walked into Starbucks and other businesses to test state laws allowing weapons to be carried openly in public places.
Some of the events were spontaneous and others were bolstered by the pro-gun group OpenCarry.org.
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence launched a petition drive demanding that the company "offer espresso shots, not gunshots" and declare its coffeehouses "gun-free zones."