Howard Schultz is offering customers some political activism to go with their grande lattes and is calling a potential short-term deal to avoid default on U.S. debt "fool's gold."
At Starbucks locations and online customers are invited to join the CEO's "Come Together" campaign, which petitions Washington politicians to reopen government, pay the nation's bills and avoid default, and reach a long-term budget deal by year-end.
"Every American is watching with profound disappointment and disdain with regard to what's happening in Washington, and the dysfunction and lack of leadership," he said. "But even though they're watching it from the sidelines they do not have a voice."
(Read more: House GOP offers debt limit hike, end to shutdown in package)
Schultz stressed that the Starbucks petition is nonpartisan.
On the stop-gap measure to avoid default currently being discussed, he said, "Those on the street or in the media who are going to celebrate a short-term deal—that is fool's gold. A short-term deal is not going to give us what we need."
(Read more: The president has become too powerful: Jack Welch)
Schultz said Starbucks would deliver the petition to Washington on Tuesday or Wednesday.
—By CNBC's Matt Twomey. Follow him on Twitter @Matt_Twomey.