Local Gun Activists Spur Chipotle's New No Guns Policy

Thanks to an overzealous group of local firearm enthusiasts, folks can no longer bear arms while enjoying a Chipotle burrito. Local gun advocate group Open Carry Tarrant County made headlines earlier this month when they (inadvertently?) terrified the staff at a Jack in the Box in Fort Worth, and the group popped up again on Saturday carrying semi-automatic weapons into a Dallas-area Chipotle, says blog Firebrand Progressives.

Another activist group called Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America caught wind of the 'demonstration' and started a petition urging Chipotle to prohibit weapons in its 1,600-plus stores. The fast-casual chain released a statement yesterday afternoon asking customers to not bring firearms into their stores unless they happen to be law enforcement.

In the statement, which is more of a request than an outright prohibition, the Denver-based chain states: "Historically, we felt it enough to simply comply with local laws regarding the open or concealed carrying of firearms, because we believe that it is not fair to put our team members in the uncomfortable position of asking that customers refrain from bringing guns into our restaurants. However, because the display of firearms in our restaurants has now created an environment that is potentially intimidating or uncomfortable for many of our customers, we think it is time to make this request."

As Eater National pointed out earlier this month following the Jack in the Box incident, this is just the latest of Open Carry Tarrant County's headline-grabbing stunts: "After Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz asked customers to not bring guns into the stores, the pro-gun group carried rifles and shot guns into an Arlington, Texas Starbucks." Open Carry Tarrant County's parent organization Open Carry Texas cut ties with the subgroup following the Jack in the Box incident; per WFAA, the parent group "has a policy that authorities must be notified in advance and that demonstrators should carry flags with the group's logo," something that OCTC has apparently failed to do in each instance.
· Dallas Gunbilly Group Invades Chipotle With Assault Weapons [Firebrand Progressives]
· Gun Control Group Asks Chipotle to Ban Guns [Forbes]

[Photo: Mike Mozart/Flickr]