Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant No Gun Zone

[86er]

A VA location asked 8 plain clothes cops with duty gear on to leave and refused to serve them. The manager said that was a mistake and cops are exempt, but released the corporate policy that strictly forbids patrons from carry guns "for the protection of their guests and staff". Put them on my "not a penny of my money" list.

[RIHMFIRE]

me too....dont like that greasy junk food anyway

[TedH]

We frequent our local Buffalo Wild Wings probably once a month. I've always carried concealed, and don't recall ever seeing a sign stating it wasn't allowed. If it's their corp. policy though, we won't be back then.

[Ji in Hawaii]

A VA location asked 8 plain clothes cops with duty gear on to leave and refused to serve them. The manager said that was a mistake and cops are exempt, but released the corporate policy that strictly forbids patrons from carry guns "for the protection of their guests and staff". Put them on my "not a penny of my money" list.

For the protection of their guests and staff??? I believe just the opposite will result.

[Blaine]

I doubt if my little LCP is visible in my leather vest pocket....I ignore those signs.. If they ask me to leave, I won't pay for my meal....

[El Chivo]

If they ask me to leave, I won't pay for my meal....

Lots of restaurants call the police if someone tries to walk out without paying. If they say it's a "man with a gun" things could get complicated.

[Pisgah]

The bad,overprced food is more than enough to keep me away.

[Hobie]

Lots of NRA folks ate at the BWW next to the NASCAR museum in Charlotte, no problem. New policy?

[L_Kilkenny]

Are BWW's corperate or franchise? Some restaurant chains are one, some the other and some have both. Iowa business's have the option of putting up the dreaded no gun sign on the window but it has no legal bearing. All they can do is ask you to leave and if you don't they get you tossed for trespassing. Of the 2 BWW's here in my parts, neither has a sign.

Like their wings but they are noisy and both of mine serve the worst mixed drinks (i.e. Jack/Coke etc) on the planet. Much prefer the wings and drinks at Outback.

[piller]

I have never been at one. Don't see a reason to go since I don't really like buffalo style wings.

[bdhold]

they taste like last week's chicken fat - no matter how much hot sauce they try to hide it with.

[86er]

MANASSAS, VA -- Eight police officers were refused service at Buffalo Wild Wings on Wednesday, apparently because they had their weapons displayed.

The Prince William County Police officers were on duty, but were in plain clothes, said Daryl LaClair, a Prince William County resident who wrote a letter to the restaurant chain’s headquarters and started a public awareness campaign regarding the incident.

The group walked into the Buffalo Wild Wings located near Wellington Road and Market Street, but were refused service by an employee who said they had to secure the guns before they would be served.

The officers had their badges displayed but still weren’t served.

Scott Lupton, the general manager of the Manassas Buffalo Wild Wings location, sent an email to LaClair, apologizing for any confusion caused by the incident, which he calls a “huge misunderstanding.”

Patch obtained a copy of the letter and confirmed its validity with Lupton on Monday

Lupton said he wasn’t there on Wednesday, but should have been notified immediately. He learned of the incident on Thursday after returning to work.

“… There is no reason why those officers should have been asked to leave … police officers are always welcome in my establishment and even though we do have a no gun policy for all employees and patrons as a company, that excludes off duty police officer,” Lupton wrote. “As a company we are community oriented. We appreciate everything that police officers do for us.”

Last week he tried to reach out to the officers to apologize, but had not been successful. Lupton said he would reach out to the police department and personally apologize.

“For this to have happened at all is just absurd,” LaClair wrote Friday in an email to Patch.

Lupton said he went down to the Prince William County Police Department with an apology letter, but wasn't able to personally contact the police officers who visited his store.

[Blaine]

If they ask me to leave, I won't pay for my meal....

Lots of restaurants call the police if someone tries to walk out without paying. If they say it's a "man with a gun" things could get complicated.

If a person is deprived of his meal, why should he pay for it? If it's at the end of the meal, I'm ready to go anyway, and they are not likely to care to make a big deal out of it. But, like I said, they can't see my piece unless I'm being real stupid about it. AND, in this state, man with a gun, if the gun is where it's supposed to be: holstered, and not being brandished, that does NOT meet the standard of being hassled by cops. Oops, sorry, I didn't see the sign, don't worry I won't ever be back, and I'm telling all my friends not to come here, too. To a certain extent (avoiding arrest), I won't be lead around on a Liberal's emotional leash.

[Old Savage]

You can reason about it but then you are leaving it up to the cop's reaction. They call it an attempt to defraud a merchant here. Although without the gun the cop is most likely just going to investigate to see what the reason was for the problem and see if it can be resolved. I was involved in a meal where a fellow asked for a cup of soup at a Chinese restaurant. They serve him a huge mixing bowl and insisted he pay for it. The owner got irate the customer left and did not eat anything - cops called him over the attempt to defraud a merchant. It got chalked up to language misunderstanding. With a gun in the mix who knows what would be the take. Might be best to not bet that someone else will see it your way if you are the one who is in jeopardy. Old biker looking guy getting jackbooted - news at 11

[Nobody]

.....

[Nobody]

Unless your John Wayne.

[Blaine]

I am wondering if they were drinking or not. If they were drinking they do not need a loaded gun in their possession cop or not.

Once the booze comes out guns get unloaded and put up no matter who you are.

Put away my self defense carry piece because I'm having a beer? Not bloody likely. Hunting or shooting is a different matter.

OS, you've been Kali-Fornicated for too long Even in Washington, we're not treated like poo on boots...

[Nobody]

.....

[Blaine]

If your security is so important then drinking is not something you need to be doing because once you start to drink even one the guns get put up.

Even one beer is almost enough to get a DWI now days. If your too impaired to drive then you’re to impaired to have a loaded gun on you.

If they have a designated driver you can have him carry and protect you.

I am not saying they were drinking but if they were I can see why the guy would not serve them. 8 Cops off duty are not going to drink one beer. They would have been out having a good time and the guns need to come off.

You are, of course, entitled to your personal opinion...but, speak for yourself. My LCP goes with me everyplace I go, and IMHO, I'd be a stupid, moronic, short-sighted, and ignorant person to think SD isn't necessary at all times.

[Nobody]

.....

[Blaine]

For some reason LEO's have this mentality they are intitled to a mystical guaranteed security and they are allowed to ignore everybody elses rights to secure this personal security. They also at the same time feel they do not have to follow any rules that all other people follow.

If your security is an issue to you then your in the wrong business and you need to get a diffrent job. If you are worried about security then you do not need to be drinking, smoking weed, messing around with a married mans wife, ect.

If you drink the guns get put up.

What kind of motorcycle do you have....I'll bet we can agree on that one

[Nobody]

.....

[jeepnik]

One interesting thing out this way. I've never seen a sign on any sort of retail establishment banning concealed carry. Now it's true that it can be a bit more difficult to get one here, but the upside is that business owners don't even think about it, so, no signs.

[Blaine]

One interesting thing out this way. I've never seen a sign on any sort of retail establishment banning concealed carry. Now it's true that it can be a bit more difficult to get one here, but the upside is that business owners don't even think about it, so, no signs.

Another little tidbit is that insurance companies often insist on a No Carry Sign for lower rates....The owner, once the sign is in place, and once said rates are secured, do not really give a dang....

[Old Savage]

Kalifornicated - not likely - I just surmise the lay of the land.

[Blaine]

Kalifornicated - not likely - I just surmise the lay of the land.

And my common sense thinks way too much of my butt to let it get in trouble....

[crs]

Two comments:
1. Joe , look at the cat fight you started; you should be ashamed. Now go stand in the corner for 15 minutes with no gun or beer(scotch id OK).
2. Many restaurants in Texas like the LEOs to eat there. In Pete's Cafe,one of my favorites, you can see sheriffs, local police from Dallas and three suburbs, state police, even folks from an area FBI office. There has never been any trouble at Pete's. Plus, no small number of diners carry concealed.

[model55]

No eat with Progressive idiots zone.

[Streetstar]

If you drink the guns get put up.

I am respectfully disagreeing with that. And the entire gist of my argument will be contained In a simple. "No comment"

[MrMurphy]

The cops were in plainclothes, which means business wear but with open-carried guns and badges.

Which means they were on duty (or on a lunch break while on duty).


Big difference between that and some offduty cops in civilian/plainclothes with concealed offduty pieces.

on duty, they can carry anywhere they have to. Offduty they do the same, just concealed.


And yeah, in Texas...... you want to drink? Put the piece away. Thus the 51% signs which do legally apply to CHL holders for bars.

Any drink more than 1 is too many if you're carrying.

[El Chivo]

You can reason about it but then you are leaving it up to the cop's reaction. They call it an attempt to defraud a merchant here. Although without the gun the cop is most likely just going to investigate to see what the reason was for the problem and see if it can be resolved. I was involved in a meal where a fellow asked for a cup of soup at a Chinese restaurant. They serve him a huge mixing bowl and insisted he pay for it. The owner got irate the customer left and did not eat anything - cops called him over the attempt to defraud a merchant. It got chalked up to language misunderstanding. With a gun in the mix who knows what would be the take. Might be best to not bet that someone else will see it your way if you are the one who is in jeopardy. Old biker looking guy getting jackbooted - news at 11

OS, thanks for making my point clear. It's not what's right or what you think is right, it's that the situation can get out of control. As for saying why should I pay if I didn't get to eat, you said you wouldn't pay for your meal, which implies that there was a meal served.

What I thought of was an incident from a year or two ago in Nevada, a gun-friendly state. A man was in a store buying things and someone saw that he had a gun on him (legally carried). When he walked out into the parking lot he was surrounded by cops with guns drawn. They gave him conflicting instructions (Don't Move....Get Down...Hands on your head...Hands behind your back...Drop the weapon (he wasn't holding a weapon)) and he couldn't comply with all of them, so they shot him 1,037 times. Ok that last was a slight exaggeration. But he only had a few seconds to process what was happening and he ended up hamburger.

[FWiedner]

My personal view is that no person who carries responsibly should be denied access simply because they carry, but property and business owners have rights associated with maintaining control of their property. A person has an absolute right to decide who comes into their house/home with a gun. Accordingly, there should be more flexibility when applying that rule to a public business venue but as a basic guideline it still applies.

I'll associate my current outlook to the notion that if certain arms can't be sold to the law abiding civilian population, those arms shouldn't be sold to officers or employees of government either.

In a like vein of consideration; If civilians can't carry in a business or social situation, then law officers should be denied that privilege as well.

Nothing against cops, just a 1:1 outlook regarding preferred treatment for special classes of people.

If the law says I gotta be disarmed, then everybody, including the law, should be disarmed.

I would much prefer that businesses simply allow those who are trained and licensed to carry, to carry on their premises. Responsibly.

Policy is, and should be, at the discretion of the property owner, and I maintain equal discretion as to whether I wish to endorse their preferred policy with my patronage.

If they're OK with my taking personal security seriously, then I'm OK doing honest business with them.

If a business can't tolerate my gun, then they've lost an opportunity to earn the money and the future business of the person that gun is used to protect.

[Panzercat]

Don't they serve alcohol in the establishment anyway?

[Blaine]

If I'm half way through a meal, and get asked to leave, do you think I should pay for the meal? Respectfully, I'll be the one calling the cops if the owner wants to press that point All this assumes, of course, that the owners have x-ray vision and can see my LCP where no one has been able to see it before.

[86er]

The LEO's are a special class of people (as it was referred to in a previous post). The State laws give them the ability to exercise authorities provided by the State constitution and the US Constitution that are not provided for non-sworn, non-leo persons. For example: Case law of TN v. Garner and Graham v. Connor establish that LEO's have a right to use force to detain someone based on a reasonable suspicion and have a right to use deadly forceif the person committed a crime and used or threatened to cause serious physical injury or death. This, not subject to what others think but only subject to what the individual officer thinks based on the totality of circumstances and individual training, education and experience. These rights to use force based on the 4th and 6th and 14th amendments. Furthermore, HR218 (federal law) permits leos to carry a firearm on or off duty, in any jurisdiction of the US, and not subject to the limitations set forth by a State entity (but subject to limitations set by a private entity). A citizen has rights only granted by the State regarding carrying a firearm for limited purposes, and is subject to the proverbial "panel of experts" test when force is applied. Furthermore, the LEO has training beyond what is required of a private citizen in the law, control tactics, and use of force. Within society, most (but not all) LEOs are going to go towards trouble and confront an adversary when others are going the other way. The LEO's are doing this because 1) they are wired this way through training and experience 2) they are provided rights and coverages like qualified immunity to have no consequence for taking action within the law 3) there may be a policy requiring this from the employer ...etc, etc. This is the old analogy of most people being sheep, the bad guys being the wolves and the LEOs being the sheepdogs. Most cops will put their life on the line to protect others (strangers) on or off duty and are prepared to do so. They can also do so under the provisions of law. Citizens have limited protection under the good samaritan act but police have a plethora of protetions in their own jurisdiction or State and an expanded law enforcement officers good samaritan act to cover them when they act outside of their jurisdiction or State. There can and will be cops that do not act appropriately and there will be citizens that rise to the occassion, but the cops that dont and the citizens that do are in the minority. The cops have the same authority to detain, investigate, arrest, search, etc on or off duty backed by a right to use force, etc. where the citizen has a limited right to protect themself and their property and many ramifications of doing so outside the parameters set by the State. Therefore, the police are a special class of persons. They are charged to be the warriors, problem solvers and protectors at all times during their active service years.

Back to the topic at hand - a private entity can prohibit whomever they want from bringing guns on the premises and prevent everyone from doing so. Some states provide for this blanket posting and make no exemptions. Other states through Statute exempt law enforcement from any posting disallowing firearms (so long as the officer is not impaired is a common exception). State postings like the 51% posting in Texas does not apply to LEOs OFF DUTY because federal law specifically provides an exemption from State postings (on duty department regs may be different and contrary). I don't understand why a public premise would prohibit concealed firearms in the first place. If they are concealed then who would know anyone was carrying one? If someone intended to commit a crime with a firearm, why would they comply with the rule? I will stand by the fact that it is their right to make the rule, though. But to prohibit LEOs on or off duty really does not make any sense if they understand the laws (and reasons) that the cops have guns off duty. I do not know of any LEO that would remain or return to a place that did not allow them to be armed while there (of course you'd have to return if called to do so while on duty). I sometimes hear the argument that goes "what if a licensed citizen suddenly turns bad". My answer - at least there is a very good chance someone else on the premise can stop them.

I will not - do not - never will go to a business or establishment that does not allow firearms. Ask Nicole Goeser why....

[66GTO]

A website relevant to the topic of this thread: http://friendorfoe.us/

Used to locate and list businesses such as Buffalo Wild Wings and the Texas motel that was discussed in an earlier thread.