Chipotle has officially requested customers not enter the restaurant's locations armed.
Gun rights advocates, along with an activist group's petition, prompted the Mexican chain's Monday announcement.
According to the Associated Press, gun rights advocates brought military-style assault rifles into a Texas Chipotle this past weekend, sparking a stir. The fast food restaurant said the company follows local gun laws for open and concealed firearms, but customers have reportedly experienced dangerous conditions in restaurants.
"The display of firearms in our restaurants has now created an environment that is potentially intimidating or uncomfortable for many of our customers," the company said in a statement.
Gun control group Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, which first sent out a petition urging Chipotle to tighten up on its arms rules, said the announcement showed the strength of the company.
"The move by Chipotle was a bold statement, especially considering its previous stance of complying with local laws," the activist group said.
Chipotle is not the only food and beverage company to ask customers not to bring firearms into stores.
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz requested patrons leave their guns at their residences. While a ban was not placed on firearms, Schultz told Reuters that he hoped customers would honor the company's wishes.
"We will not ask you to leave," Schultz previously told AP.
The news was the latest development in the company's support for gun control, a hotly debated topic in the U.S.
"Both sides of the issue have staged events at Starbucks, so our company has been characterized as pro and anti-gun, but we're neither," Schultz told USA Today. "Very few issues are as emotional or as polarizing as this."
According to Schultz, the timing of Starbucks policy was not a result of the Washington Navy Yard shooting on Oct. 31.
The company considered postponing its request until after the incident, which resulted in the deaths of 12 people, but chose to proceed, USA Today reported.
"The presence of a weapon in our stores is unsettling and upsetting for many of our customers," Schultz said. "At this point we'll sit and monitor the situation."
