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Guns in IHOP

Don Barnett

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After Church today, my wife and I went to IHOP on Hoadly Rd and Prince William Parkway. Being Catholic, I was NOT dressed to the "nines" and I had on unfrayed jeans, a decent shirt, docker shoes and a Harley Davidson hat. My wife and I are in our early 60's. We were seated in a booth and I was strong side inboard, not by choice but by the luck of the draw. Great service - we always go to an early service and arrived at IHOP before the crowds came in. One time during the meal I went to the "head" to get rid of excess coffee; I don't bother to see if people react...I don't care. As we were leaving a manager came up to me, and asked if the meal was good, but I could tell he had something else on his mind. We walkedto the front door; again he asked if everything was OK and I assured him that it was great. Then the conversation went like this:

Him: Are you LEO?

Me: No.

Him: Well, we don't allow guns in the restaurant.

My Wife: I don't see anything posted on your door so he can bring a gun in here (I have to talk to her about that).

Me: I didn't realize that it was not allowed; I was seated and served and nothing was said by anybody, until you mentioned it.

Him: (Silence)

Me: Well, if that is the case, we won't patronize this restaurant anymore.

Him: Have a nice day.

We then went shopping at Harris Teeter...no problems.

Is this IHOP policy, or is it a "rogue" manager?
 

WhatTimeIsIt?

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I have open carried in IHOPs around Chesapeake before without incident.
 

Notso

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May 13, 2007
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Laveen, Arizona, USA
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All the IHOP's I've been to in the Phoenix area are posted no firearms. Not sure if it's a corporate thing or if they're franchisee owned.
 

skidmark

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I can't think of an IHOP I've been in where OCing was a problem. Here in Richmond it's OK, I've been in several IHOPs in other parts of the commonwealth (NoVa, Roanoke, Tidewater, up & down I-81 and across I-64) without problems.

If you are going to contact IHOP corporate HQ, be sure you have all your ducks in a row - name of mgr, date & approximate time, maybe a photo of the entrance shoing it is not posted, and even if the guy that spoke to you is the head manager or merely a shift manager. If he's a shift manager you might think about speaking with the head guy before you startgoing further up the ladder.

Lots of folks have had more sucess with conversations/letters expressing disappointment in the behavior of the local facility's stance than have had sucess in whining about the "violation" of their rights and demanding that they be allowed to carry. (I'm not suggesting you would do that - I don't know you so couldn't tell, but you sound [read] like you are smarter than to do that.) The latter just seems a good way to get a whole chain posted, as opposed to educating folks on the goodness of us good guys.

It's your call on how, if at all, to proceed any further.

stay safe.

skidmark

*edited to fix typo - hope I got all of them.
 

hsmith

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And do not make the suggestion they should put up signage if they dislike people carrying firearms.

If anything, use the down economy in your favor, "IHOP is in such a good position it can tell paying customers to NOT return?"
 

Xeni

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Sep 12, 2007
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Dumfries, Virginia, USA
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Rogue manager I believe.

I've OC'd to that same IHOP without any issues and thats with a few customer :what:. Staff have seen me carry before but no one's ever made an issue of it before.

At the IHOP in Woodbridge (on Smoketown I believe) I OC'd around midnightish and I had a manager croach down and stare to ask me what I was carrying. I said Glock 23 and he and two of the other employees started high-fiving each other on figuring it out - he mentioned he had a 17 at home.

Sometimes the best approach is to not point out that they have a sign but just smile, tell them that you understand that civil rights are not important to them, pay your bill (contest the bill if you like) and just carry the next day - when another manager is on duty.
 

Don Barnett

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Just wondering! I think that some waitress, or perhaps a customersaid something and that he decided he needed to confront me. Like I said, I really don't look for people's reactions but I did not see anyone flee in horror. I intend to go in there again.

Right now, I have too many letters to write to Democratic Congressmen about this move towards Socialism than to bother with a rogue IHOP manager. Ifany managerasks me to put my gun in the car, I will just tell him that I won't, and then leave taking my business elsewhere.
 

ODA 226

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Etzenricht, Germany
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I've OC'd in IHOPs from Williamsburg to Virginia Beach and never experienced any problems. Rogue manager but WTH! It's his restaurant.
 

Marco

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No issues @ IHOP's in Centreville, Gainesville, Chantilly, and the one located in the Manassas mall.
 

Don Barnett

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This guy must have been making up the rules as he went along. I will certainly go in there again open carrying. If he is there again and mentions it, I will cite these posts, ask for his name and the name of the general manager, and then ask some questions about corporate policy. Chances are, nothing will be said though.

I forgot to mention that when my wife mentioned that there were no signs on the door, he said: "We do not post that on our doors; but guns are not allowed." I let that drop...as I do not want him posting signs.
 

SicSemperTyrannis

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Itis fairlycommon for employees to confuse a corporate policy saying that EMPLOYEES may not have guns with a blanket gun ban. That has come up several times before on this board. That may be the case here.
 

Tomahawk

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Oct 1, 2006
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I have OC'd in the IHOP in Hybla Valley (Rt. 1 Fairfax Co.), along Rt. 29 near Warrenton, and in one in Manassas after a function inwhich I and about 20 other VCDL members all walked in OC'ing. Nothing has ever been said to me or anyone I was with.

My guess is you got a bum manager.
 

jegoodin

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Jul 9, 2006
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Stafford, Virginia, USA
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I open carry in the IHOP in Stafford on Garrisonville Rd fairly frequently and I've ever had a problem. Personally I hate IHOP, but my wife likes it so...
 

types_zane

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Mar 26, 2009
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Well I have been creeping on the boards for a while and just recently registered and I figured I would make my first contribution… I have been doing armed security for over 2 years now, and many of my Friday, Saturday, and Sundays have been spent providing security at these facilities throughout the NOVA area. I can tell you that most IHOP in the NOVA area are franchisees that vary greatly on their policy of firearms and the enforcement of such rules.



When I first started working at IHOP, mainly the ones in Woodbridge, IHOP wouldn’t even allow me to carry my firearm. Now they have somewhat changed their policies and seem to be at least a little somewhat A2 oriented. With that being said I used to do security for the IHOP on route 50 in Fairfax, and that store was pro A2 even at 0200 hours.



Again most of the IHOPs in the NOVA area are pro A2 now, it just depends on what shift manager you happen to encounter and the time of day/night. The shift managers that work on the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night/early morning shift are a little shifty about who carries on their property because they see the worst of their patrons come out. To my knowledge there are not many if any IHOPs that have signage posted.



Good luck, and remember chances are that if you went Sunday morning you probably got the Saturday night shift manager and not the store manger…



Hope your quest for the answers proves fruitfull.





Zane
 
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