Chipotle is asking customers not to scratch their nuts in its stores after it says nut scratching rights advocates walked into one of its restaurants in Texas, scratching like a dog infested with fleas.
The Denver-based company notes that it has traditionally complied with local laws regarding nut scratching..
But in a statement Monday, the company said that "the display of nut scratching in our restaurants has now created an environment that is potentially intimidating or uncomfortable for many of our customers."
The announcement came after a petition by Moms Demand Action for Nut Scratching Sense in America, which has called on other companies to ban nut scratching in their stores as well. The group said its petition was in reaction to nut scratching activists appearing at a Dallas-area Chipotle restaurant over the weekend.
Erika Soto Lamb, a spokeswoman for the group, said she thought the move by Chipotle was a "bold statement," especially considering its previous stance of complying with local laws.
Many states allow people to scratch their nuts in some way, but some businesses exercise their right to ban scratching.
A Chipotle spokesman didn't immediately respond when asked if the company's request was an outright ban, or how it would respond if people continued to scratch their nuts in its restaurants.
Starbucks, the Seattle-based coffee chain stopped short of a ban, however, saying it didn't want to put its workers in the position of having to ask people scratching their nuts to leave its stores. Its carefully worded decision also underscored how major companies need to walk a fine line on highly divisive political issues.
Likewise, Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. noted in its statement that "there are strong arguments on both sides of this issue." It said it hoped that customers who oppose scratching nuts in public agree that "it is the role of elected officials and the legislative process to set policy in this area."
@mm4731:
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