The Washington-based Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence group is working to urge Starbucks to prohibit customers from carrying guns in all California Starbucks.
The move comes in response to what officials said are "recent brazen displays of handguns by gun enthusiasts at several California stores, which have frightened some customers and alarmed law enforcement officials," according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.
"We think Starbucks should adopt a national policy not to allow guns to be openly carried at its stores,"said Peter Hamm, a spokesman for the Brady Campaign. "There have been a number of meetings of 'open carry' advocates at Starbucks."
He said gun enthusiasts were intentionally targeting Starbucks coffee shops for their meetings and openly carrying their weapons strapped to their hips.
Other coffee shops and eating establishments, such as Peet's Coffee & Tea and the California Pizza Kitchen, have already banned customers from openly carrying guns.
The CEO of Starbucks, Howard Schultz, has not responded to the Brady Campaign's letter asking him to change their policy, according to Hamm.
