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Olive Garden e-mail

hafnhaf

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2013
Messages
230
Location
Williamsburg, VA
I wrote to Olive Garden the other day about firearms in their restaurants. This is the reply I received:


We deeply respect and appreciate your perspective and motivation to contact us. Olive Garden's focus is to provide all of our guests with a genuine Italian dining experience. Our company’s general policy regarding firearms in our restaurants is to follow the state or local law as written, rather than implement procedures that conflict with what the state or local government intends. We elect to comply with the law as it is written and do not opt out, even if state law contains a clause allowing a business to do so.


We appreciate the time you took to contact us.


Sincerely,

Victor
Olive Garden Guest Relations
 

OC Freedom

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2014
Messages
646
Location
ADA County, ID
I have patronized Olive Garden a few times and they have never said a thing about my Personal Safety Device; (gun).

I'm just not a regular due to the High calorie content of their meals, other than that I have no issue with them.
 

OC for ME

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2010
Messages
12,452
Location
White Oak Plantation
...with a genuine Italian dining experience...
Too funny.
rotfl.gif
 

BB62

Accomplished Advocate
Joined
Aug 17, 2006
Messages
4,069
Location
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
I wrote to Olive Garden the other day about firearms in their restaurants. This is the reply I received:


We deeply respect and appreciate your perspective and motivation to contact us. Olive Garden's focus is to provide all of our guests with a genuine Italian dining experience. Our company’s general policy regarding firearms in our restaurants is to follow the state or local law as written, rather than implement procedures that conflict with what the state or local government intends. We elect to comply with the law as it is written and do not opt out, even if state law contains a clause allowing a business to do so.


We appreciate the time you took to contact us.


Sincerely,

Victor
Olive Garden Guest Relations
Why write to them in the first place?

Did you see any prohibitory signs? Did someone ask you to leave, and to take your lawfully carried firearm with you? Did the police arrive and ask you to leave?

In general, "we" (the OCDO community) have found that it's best to leave sleeping dogs alone - one never knows when a question might cause a business to examine their permissive attitude and modify it against our interests.
 

solus

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2013
Messages
9,315
Location
here nc
cognitive juices flowing....wondering if the query was sent because of the nice LE who got thrown out of Olive Garden while awaiting his participants for his surprise Bday party?

ipse
 

BB62

Accomplished Advocate
Joined
Aug 17, 2006
Messages
4,069
Location
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
cognitive juices flowing....wondering if the query was sent because of the nice LE who got thrown out of Olive Garden while awaiting his participants for his surprise Bday party?
Maybe so, but if the OP wrote a note because of that incident (which has already been handled by an apology being offered and the appropriate party being informed), my initial point still stands. Leave sleeping dogs alone.

Unfortunate as it is, in a number of places the policy for "special people" isn't the same for us commoners.
 

hafnhaf

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2013
Messages
230
Location
Williamsburg, VA
actually, it was due to the above-mentioned incident with the police officer. i wanted to get their official policy on us peons carrying, with an eye towards figuring out where to spend my dinner money when the family decides to go out for dinner.
 

OldCurlyWolf

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2010
Messages
907
Location
Oklahoma
actually, it was due to the above-mentioned incident with the police officer. i wanted to get their official policy on us peons carrying, with an eye towards figuring out where to spend my dinner money when the family decides to go out for dinner.

I have been to more than one in Texas and have never seen a sign posted of any kind. That may change January 1, 2016. They may decry open carry. So far concealed has not been a problem.:cool:
 

rightwinglibertarian

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2014
Messages
827
Location
Seattle WA
cognitive juices flowing....wondering if the query was sent because of the nice LE who got thrown out of Olive Garden while awaiting his participants for his surprise Bday party?

ipse
I think in light of that email,throwing him out was uncalled for. I'm no friend of police at all but in this case he did nothing wrong and should not have been thrown out, regardless of the right to do so. And yes this is me sticking up for a cop.

Sent from my HTC Desire 626s using Tapatalk
 

WalkingWolf

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
11,930
Location
North Carolina
Kewl, but still don't want to go eat at someplace that has lines coming out the door. Hope the food is that good, or it could be like Cracker Barrel, business based on lines coming out the door. I only ate once in OG, and was not impressed, same for CB, both times in IL so no OC there. Elisabeth's Pizza, and Twisted Grape are carry friendly, and a heck of a lot closer for us.
 

Rusty Young Man

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2013
Messages
1,548
Location
Árida Zona
I wrote to Olive Garden the other day about firearms in their restaurants. This is the reply I received:


We deeply respect and appreciate your perspective and motivation to contact us. Olive Garden's focus is to provide all of our guests with a genuine Italian dining experience. Our company’s general policy regarding firearms in our restaurants is to follow the state or local law as written, rather than implement procedures that conflict with what the state or local government intends. We elect to comply with the law as it is written and do not opt out, even if state law contains a clause allowing a business to do so.


We appreciate the time you took to contact us.


Sincerely,

Victor
Olive Garden Guest Relations

Thank you for posting this, hafnhaf. Seems like I might consider going back there one more time. Just to try it again.

Kewl, but still don't want to go eat at someplace that has lines coming out the door. Hope the food is that good, or it could be like Cracker Barrel, business based on lines coming out the door. I only ate once in OG, and was not impressed, same for CB, both times in IL so no OC there. Elisabeth's Pizza, and Twisted Grape are carry friendly, and a heck of a lot closer for us.

Olive Garden is to "Italian" restaurants what Ikea is to "fine furniture", and Ramen noodles is to...:p

In Olive Garden's defense, it's not too bad when you're a college student who needs some cheap eats, but it isn't something you would want to eat regularly. Kind of like Ramen noodles.*



*Disclaimer: the writer of this post did not eat Ramen as a food staple nor endorses it as a food staple for any living organism. The writer of this post was fortunate enough to have parents with some things called "common sense", "self reliance", and "strong work ethic", which they inculcated into the writer and led to his regular diet of self-made meals which included vegetables and fruit to offset scurvy and other maladies.:D
 
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carracer

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2008
Messages
1,108
Location
Nampa, Idaho, USA
When I read the article regarding the Policeman being refused the Olive Garden apology sounded to me like LEO only were allowed to carry. I'm glad he wrote and clarified.
 

Wstar425

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2014
Messages
570
Location
Tomahawk and Abbotsford, Wi.
I don't ask, I just carry.

This.

If and when we are asked to leave any eating establishment in the middle of a meal we will get up, walk out, NOT stopping on the way. Have not had to try this plan out yet, and have been in several Olive Gardens a year. It's an upper/middle tier restaurant for us. I've probably gotten more looks at OG than anywhere else, but that may be just that they are found in bigger cities that we don't normally frequent. No comments from management or patrons tho.
 

solus

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2013
Messages
9,315
Location
here nc
This.

If and when we are asked to leave any eating establishment in the middle of a meal we will get up, walk out, NOT stopping on the way. Have not had to try this plan out yet, and have been in several Olive Gardens a year. It's an upper/middle tier restaurant for us. I've probably gotten more looks at OG than anywhere else, but that may be just that they are found in bigger cities that we don't normally frequent. No comments from management or patrons tho.

egaddddssss, don't be an inconsiderate clod...remember to at least leave a tip for the waitstaff ~ geez, Wstar, you will make us all look like and remembered as uncivilized cads!!

ipse
 

Wstar425

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2014
Messages
570
Location
Tomahawk and Abbotsford, Wi.
I
egaddddssss, don't be an inconsiderate clod...remember to at least leave a tip for the waitstaff ~ geez, Wstar, you will make us all look like and remembered as uncivilized cads!!

ipse

I don't know how I feel about that? My wife, I am sure would try to leave a tip, and most likely try to pay for uneaten meals as well. She is a bit more civilized than I.

Our OGs have a no gun/slash sign with "except with a conceal carry license" down along the bottom of the glass on the side of the door. Easy to miss. I OC, but would be willing to show my CCL in that one instance as I realized what I was walking into. Not saying I like it. Sign addresses the need for a CCL, not the method of carry. Been a while so possible it's been removed or changed. It would be easy to see the sign and not read and comprehend.

Last visit a while back we got seated in a nearly empty restaurant right next to a couple a little older than us. Gun side to them. The woman kept looking at my firearm, then me, but we never spoke. When they got up to leave, I overheard her say "well that ruined the dining experience!". I think I was supposed to hear it, but made no comment. Freshly showered and shaved, wife dressed for business and me with better than jeans, so not sure what else she may have been talking about. Neither one of them got shot, so I'd chalk that up as a win if I was them!!!!!
 
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