Tuesday, September 1, 2009

AZ: Which Restaurants Want our Dollars?

Like most people, my wife & I enjoy eating out from time to time. We personally don't even choose to drink alcohol, but there are many good restaurants in Arizona that happen to serve it to those who do. Starting September 30th 2009 the law in Arizona will no longer prohibit my wife & I from eating at restaurants that happen to serve alcohol while we carry concealed weapons for defense of ourselves & our family, so long as we don't drink.

Unfortunately some businesses are already making the decision that they don't want our dollars. That is their right as a business owner, as it will be ours to choose not to do business with them. About 138,000 active CCW Permit Holders in Arizona as of Sep 1st 2009 is nothing to sneeze at in this economy, and that doesn't even take into consideration the 2.5 Million Arizona residents who live in households that have at least one gun, many of whom are likely to support restaurants that support our rights irregardless of their own decision to not apply for a CCW permit for themselves.

The Arizona State Rifle & Pistol Association has created a web page to list Arizona businesses that have come out on one side or the other on this issue - either deciding to openly support the right to bear arms in self defense or deciding to ban our patronage. Businesses that ban entry to Conceal Carry permit holders carrying concealed will be advising criminals that they'll find easy targets inside the restaurant as well as walking about in the parking lot. The ASRPA has a PDF you can print out to share with the restaurants you wish to patronize. Restaurants can choose either to simply not ban our patronage or to go an extra step and have their logo listed as a self defense supporter on the ASRPA website to attract our business.

As required by the law, our weapons will remain concealed so patrons who are scared of guns will not even know we're there, the same way they don't know that we're sitting next to them in a Movie Theater or in an ice cream shop. The signs banning our patronage will begin shipping out later this week to the 100 or so restaurants that have already requested them. With about 5,900 bars & restaurants that serve alcohol in Arizona that will still leave us with 5,800 places we can patronize.

Thai Rama is the first restaurant to be listed as supporting our rights which as a result is now on my must visit list. As for those who don't want our dollars, the first to be listed are George & Dragon as well as Chipotle. Based on this article, I'm guessing the Chevraunt Restaurant & Wine Bar will soon be added to the list of restaurants who don't want our dollars as well. Be sure to contact these businesses with a friendly note or phone call to let them know your thoughts. If you know of other restaurants that should be added to one side or the other of the list send the details to ASRPA via: wewelcomeccw@asrpa.com

For any businesses thinking about creating their own gun free zone, please check out this video first:



Update 1: Other restaurants like Thai Rama that have indicated that they plan to respect our right to defend ourselves (based on reader feedback & the list - below listing is not comprehensive):
Black Angus, Olive Garden, NYPD Pizza, Parson's Restaurant, Dickey's Barbecue Pit, Babaloos, Eat at Joe's Barbecue, Maloney's, Santisi Brothers Sports Grill, Silver Spur Saloon, Chuy's Mesquite Broiler, & Valle Luna.

Update 2: More news on the subject: azcentral, azdailysun.

Update 3: Additional lists of CCW friendly restaurants are now available.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

The Arizona Republic is siting a different date than the Legislature. We are saying September 30th is the general effective date of all bills that passed without an emergency measure. I do not believe my bill required the firearm to be concealed, only that the carrier has a CCW permit. I'll need to look again.

People shouldn't believe everything they read in the AZ Republic. Something else in the article was wrong.

State Senator Jack Harper

Unknown said...

Yes, it does have to be concealed:

-229. Licenses; handguns; posting of notice

A. A person with a permit issued pursuant to section 13-3112 or who meets the criteria specified in section 13‑3102, subsection D, paragraph 1 or 2 may carry a concealed handgun on the premises of a licensee who is an on‑sale retailer unless the licensee posts a sign that clearly prohibits the possession of weapons on the licensed premises. The sign shall conform to the following requirements:

Dustin said...

I too was skeptical about the date listed in the Arizona Republic but it was confirmed by The Arizona DLLC which states that the law takes effect Sep 29th 2009 rather than Sep 30th.

For the concealed requirement the law reads "A. A person with a permit issued pursuant to section 13-3112 or who meets the criteria specified in section 13‑3102, subsection D, paragraph 1 or 2 may carry a concealed handgun on the premises of a licensee who is an on‑sale retailer unless the licensee posts a sign that clearly prohibits the possession of weapons on the licensed premises. The sign shall conform to the following requirements:"

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