Open Carry Dinner

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Rich are you planning on contacting management of each establishment that people will be coming with guns, or is there a chance that we will be asked to leave?

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That is something I am looking for input into.

It would of course be nicer and safer to call in advance, but it would also defeat a lot of the purpose.

What do you guys think? Whatever we decide can be explained on the site when you choose to host a dinner.

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I think that this is a very difficult question. that is why I asked it. When it comes to OC, it would be a bummer if we all got somewhere only to find out that the management was not cool with it. And yes I agree that this would defeat the main purpose of the dinner.

I know that this is not helping to solve anything in this discussion (sorry)

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packingandpies.com
carryandcurry.com (if you like Indian food)
burgersandbullets.com

I'd try and get a tentative headcount to start with, then approach suitable restaurants and say "Hi, we are looking for a restaurant to host approximately xx people for dinner. We are a civil rights group and some of us would most likely be legally carrying our pistols. Would your establishment be interested in hosting us?"

Thinking back to the first CCDL (embryonic CCDL) meeting at Hops, we were kind of left to our own devices back there but one guy open carried and nobody on the waitstaff batted an eye.

I'd rather not blindside a restaurant especially if they get pissy and refuse to seat us all which kind of defeats the purpose of the meeting. If they are accommodating to us, we could continue this get-together in the future.

Just my 2cents (and I'll start with the garden salad please).

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As far as a name for the group. I would suggest something that takes into consideration the publics perception of the group. This has easily the potential to get press pretty quick. Secondamendmentmeal or something similar has a nice activist respectful sound to it. Gunsandgrub or bulletsandbrunch or whatever is going to be looked at in a different light by a good amount of the general public. Perception is a huge part of something like this.

If there were a sign at the front door saying welcome Secondamendmentmeal, I think even most anti gun people would still walk through the door to eat at the establishment. If it says Welcome Bulletsandbrunch people might walk away. That will not only put a negative spin on the group but it will get the establishment to not want you there.

Just my opinion.

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Very true, and the bullets aspect of it are incidental to what we are trying to do anyway. We aren't there to do anything with the guns other than have a nice meal together and the pistols will stay snug in their holsters the whole time.

civil rights dinner - if you want to come and eat you will respect everyones:

Right to free speech
Right to keep and bear arms
Right to not quarter soldiers in your house (unless you want to)
Right to be free from illegal search and seizure
Right to not be compelled to self incriminate
Right to a speedy trial with counsel if needed
and so on...

I think we can all go along with that!

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ESCH wrote:

I would suggest something that takes into consideration the publics perception of the group. This has easily the potential to get press pretty quick. Secondamendmentmeal or something similar has a nice activist respectful sound to it.

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That was part of my reasoning for choosing secondamendmentmeal.com

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gluegun wrote:

ESCH wrote:

I would suggest something that takes into consideration the publics perception of the group. This has easily the potential to get press pretty quick. Secondamendmentmeal or something similar has a nice activist respectful sound to it.

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That was part of my reasoning for choosing secondamendmentmeal.com

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I agree with the "PC" aspect of the official name.

However on a personal note I still like GUNSANDGRUB!! it is very whimsical...To me!!
:celebratekinda like this here dancing banana thing...ROFLMAO!!

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My 2 cents:

I also think the dinner is a fantastic idea.
To me the result will be more general public education than our own education. The general public needs the education, not us. Once the general public feel comfortable with people carrying guns, we will feel comfortable OGing everywhere.

You have a good point Rich B!

We should have the restaurant on our side. If we get kicked out, the media will have a day with us, let alone the anti-gun people; I can already see the headline: "Brave restaurant owner kicks out gun nuts from his/her establishment". We do not need the negative advertisement.
Actually, when appropriate, we should invite some media people to our dinners so they can report a positive image of Pro Second Amendment people.

My suggestion is to get the approval from the restaurant. They may want the heads up so they can check with police department because I do not expect them just take our word that is OK and legal. Also, they may want to be protected in case some customer calls the police. Restaurant owners do not want bad publicity, the economy is not that great right now. Even a pro-gun restaurant owner has to worry about their regular customers, but they can use the extra business by hosting a Second Amendment Dinner.

It would be nice to have a welcome sign for the "Second Amendment Dinner". The restaurant may do that, even if cost us some extra tip.
This would show the general public that we are civilized people like they are.

If possible we could give the restaurant some extra advertisement in exchange. We could add their name to our website as a "Second Amendment Friendly Restaurant" for the xxx thousands of licensed people in CT. Free advertisement into a "focused crowd" for the restaurant.

Lenny, can we do that?

If they perceive an increase in business from Pro Second Amendment people, they will start telling others (including the media) we are good customers and great people.


Keep it up guys, I am planning to participate.

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We can absolutely do that! We have already added links to pro 2A lawyers (BTW They are all members!!)

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If you have trouble finding a place,I have a coupon for Hot Pockets and we can have a Open Carry Leaf Raking Event at my house. :lol::lol::lol::lol:

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BizOwner wrote:

If you have trouble finding a place,I have a coupon for Hot Pockets and we can have a Open Carry Leaf Raking Event at my house. :lol::lol::lol::lol:

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I like the idea (and Hot Pockets) as long as you live in an UNfriendly gun CITY, on a very busy corner where we are sure that MANY people will see us.

Maybe even TV news!!!:celebrate (Gotta love this banana thing)

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Haha leaf raking.. hmmmm but if we come over and rake yours, who is going to rake mine? besides Stratford is a bastion for OC.

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BizOwner wrote:

If you have trouble finding a place,I have a coupon for Hot Pockets and we can have a Open Carry Leaf Raking Event at my house. :lol::lol::lol::lol:

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FUNNY! :celebrate

BUT...
I my mind, this "activity concept" does not directly promote Open Carry or directly further the cause. It is tangential at best.

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I LIKE the way this person thinks.

oalves wrote:

To me the result will be more general public education than our own education. The general public needs the education, not us. Once the general public feel comfortable with people carrying guns, we will feel comfortable OGing everywhere.

We should have the restaurant on our side. If we get kicked out, the media will have a day with us, let alone the anti-gun people; I can already see the headline: "Brave restaurant owner kicks out gun nuts from his/her establishment". We do not need the negative advertisement.
Actually, when appropriate, we should invite some media people to our dinners so they can report a positive image of Pro Second Amendment people.

My suggestion is to get the approval from the restaurant. They may want the heads up so they can check with police department because I do not expect them just take our word that is OK and legal. Also, they may want to be protected in case some customer calls the police. Restaurant owners do not want bad publicity, the economy is not that great right now. Even a pro-gun restaurant owner has to worry about their regular customers, but they can use the extra business by hosting a Second Amendment Dinner.

It would be nice to have a welcome sign for the "Second Amendment Dinner". The restaurant may do that, even if cost us some extra tip.
This would show the general public that we are civilized people like they are.

If possible we could give the restaurant some extra advertisement in exchange. We could add their name to our website as a "Second Amendment Friendly Restaurant" for the xxx thousands of licensed people in CT. Free advertisement into a "focused crowd" for the restaurant.

If they perceive an increase in business from Pro Second Amendment people, they will start telling others (including the media) we are good customers and great people.

Click to expand...

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Douglas in CT wrote:

BizOwner wrote:

If you have trouble finding a place,I have a coupon for Hot Pockets and we can have a Open Carry Leaf Raking Event at my house. :lol::lol::lol::lol:

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FUNNY! :celebrate

BUT...
I my mind, this "activity concept" does not directly promote Open Carry or directly further the cause. It is tangential at best.

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Douglas,

The relevance of "BizOwner's" offer of his place for our event is strictly to get his leaves picked up!! LMAO!!

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Rich B wrote:

That is something I am looking for input into.

It would of course be nicer and safer to call in advance, but it would also defeat a lot of the purpose.

What do you guys think? Whatever we decide can be explained on the site when you choose to host a dinner.

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Rich B,
I concur with oalves' comment about the NECESSITY of getting [Pre] approval from the restaurant.

This requires going to each restaurant in advance and meeting with the owner/manager to discuss things and getting an agreement.
- This is best done between the meal "rush hours" (10am-11am & 2:30pm-4pm).

This meeting is CRITICAL - for all the reasons oalves has mentioned.

It also would be a very good idea to follow up that meeting with a letter to confirm your conversation and the date/time of the gathering.

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I think we're all straying just a little off the topic of the OP.

This web app is great for setting up these sorts of events. It would be up to the organizer of the event to get the approval of the restaurant management before hosting such an event. It shouldn't be up to Rich B to get approval from every restaurant that anyone wants to have as an event location.

Using GoldCoasters suggestion, having an event set up where people can RSVP to the meal would let the meeting organizer go to the restaurant manager and say "I have 20 people who want to eat at your restaurant. Some of us may be legally carrying handguns. Do you have a problem with this?"

If the manager says yes, we don't want your business, maybe (feature request ) the event organizer can rate that venue as anti-gun so others will avoid creating events there. Then the organizer can look into another venue and repeat the process.

Maybe having an indication on whether or not the venue has been notified would also help. (Feature request )

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Only because it's now a rather well known location on this forum, I would suggest:

Chili's in Glastonbury CT and invite the Local Police Chief and Commissioner of Public Safety to be the guest speakers.

If they refuse to attend, why don’t you invite James Goldberg, Peter Kuck and their attorney, they have collectively done more for open carry in Ct that anyone.

If you're going to have a dinner, make it worth the effort.

It might also be worth it to invite reporters for the main stream media outlets.

I'll be reroute to or in California but think there's more to this suggestion that may be realized.

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That's a hell of an idea Ed, both the attendees and the location. I suspect the location would more than likely refuse to accommodate us if we asked in advance though. At least if that busybody assistant manager was working that night!