“On Monday, Panera Bread became the latest U.S. company to ask customers to leave their guns at home,” huffingtonpost.com reports. “The bakery-cafe chain joins Starbucks, Chipotle, Target and a handful of other restaurants and retailers in making such a request, which comes amid an increasingly heated debate over the role of guns in public places.” Note: just like the aforementioned companies, Panera is not banning legally carried firearms from its stores (as they have a legal right to do). They’re asking customers not to carry in their stores. The statement says . . .
Within our company, we strive to create Panera Warmth. This warmth means bakery-cafes where customers and associates feel comfortable and welcome. To this end, we ask that guns not be brought into this environment unless carried by an authorized law enforcement officer. Panera respects the rights of gun owners, but asks our customers to help preserve the environment we are working to create for our guests and associates.
And once again we’d like to point out that any company “requesting” customer disarmament puts employees at risk and makes itself the target of criminal attack (and thus its customers).
Panera has been the locus of multiple armed robberies including Omaha, Nebraska; Ocala, Florida; Indianapolis, Indiana; Milton, Georgia; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Aberdeen, Maryland; Needham, Massachusetts; Greensboro, South Carolina and Gainesville, Georgia. To name a few.
Not to mention customers who have been attacked in Panera parking lots, as was the case in this carjacking in Columbus, Ohio. Or this mugging in Eldersburg, Maryland.
Anyway, the chances that the People of the Gun will leave their legally carried firearm at home while visiting Panera are lower than a snake’s belly. There will be some, however, who will cease to spend their money where they’re not wanted.
And some who will greet this news as a sign of a gun control victory. I give you Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America [via cnbc.com]
“We are thrilled that after months of discussions between Panera and Moms Demand Action, Panera is taking a proactive position in favor of our families’ safety by putting a new gun policy in place. Moms are the consumers-in-chief of our households and we will reward companies that take a stand for our families’ safety. We urge other national companies follow suit.”
cnbc.com reckons MDA’s winning: “So far, momentum is moving in favor of the moms.” True?