Coffee Shop Owner Encourages Pistol-Packing Baristas

The owner of a coffee stand in Washington state is allowing her employees to bring guns to work.

Sara Chapel owns Jitterz Java in Spokane. After the stand was robbed three times in a month, she’s had enough, and told KXLY she refuses to let her staff be victimized anymore:

“It is just a little aggravating, you know, people are just out for themselves these days. It’s just sad to put other people in harms way to just get a few hundred dollars.”

In the most recent robbery attempt, a man who appeared to be armed and aggressive tried to open a window at the stand. The barista kept the window locked, grabbed her gun and called police. The man took off before police arrived.

Chapel said some of her employees have been bringing guns to work already, but now there will always be a gun at the stand.

“A couple of them bring handguns every day, no matter what shift it is. There is always a gun here now.”

Barista Krystal Cogswell wears a .38 Special Lavender lady. She told KXLY that she used to hide her gun, but wears it on her hip now:

“Before I never never felt an immediate threat, so I would just have it off to the side or somewhere hidden. But now I feel like if someone can see it, maybe it will just deter it right then and there and I won’t ever have to use it.”