imported post
I emailed them yesterday and this is what I got in return!!!
Dear Mr. Cannon:
Thank you for your email dated yesterday regarding members of your organization that have been asked to conceal their guns while visiting Bavarian Inn Lodge. To my knowledge, as the Manager of the Bavarian Inn Lodge, this is not the case. I have been here since we opened the Lodge in 1986. In those 23 years there have been only two occasions that I am aware of where we approached an individual with a un-concealed weapon. The first (probably 12 years ago) ended up being an off-duty police officer playing putt-putt golf in our fun center. The second was an off-duty police officer also, carrying cuffs and a pistol in a pool area. Both were quick to appreciate the concern of other families with small children who approached management because of their fear of a civilian carrying a weapon.
Neither of these officers took an opportunity to make us aware of miopencarry.org and your purpose. I believe you may be writing the wrong company. I am aware that a member of your organization did visit our sister company across the river (Bavarian Inn Restaurant) several months ago. It is through that interaction that our company learned of your organization. One incident on one day. I believe other guests were in fear or concern over your member carrying a weapon in open and expressed that to management. When approached, it appears he took offense and the message you attempt to share, was communicated in a negative fashion. Your member made it clear he would never dine at the restaurant again and several negative communications have occurred since.
I will paste in the response that was sent to your member on or around June 23rd by Bill Zehnder, President of Bavarian Inn Restaurant. As the parent corporation of all Bavarian Inn properties, he has elected to give this response based on the circumstances at hand and the immense “family” based culture that exists in our properties.
Dear ________,
Thank you for your email on our policy on legal firearms. I have been associated with firearms all of my life, from a young boy with hunting, target practice and for varmint control on the farm. I have continued hunting through the past 60 years to this day. While serving in the Army during the Vietnam war era, I had hours of weapon training. I have a good understanding of your and my 2nd amendment rights.
As a private business owner, we also have our rights and responsibilities. Most important is our guests’ safety and satisfaction. The visitor perception of a welcoming and protected environment is crucial. All of our team strives to continually provide a comfortable atmosphere for our guests.
People have the right to smoke; it offends other customers and, therefore, we have limited the smoking that occurs within our building. A mother has the natural right to breastfeed her infant which may embarrass other guests; thus we ask them to be discreet as well as provide a private area for this natural process of feeding their child. If there is a screaming child in our dining room, we do our best to discreetly approach and assist the parent. Some businesses also post the policy of "no shirt, no shoes, no service" so as to not offend any customers.
Michigan has enacted a concealed weapon permit process which allows all law-abiding citizens with a clean record to discreetly carry your weapon. We have no policy against concealed carry with the proper permit as provided by Michigan legislation. Here at the Bavarian Inn we have established a No Open Carrying of Firearms policy for the peace of mind of our guests. The Frankenmuth Bavarian Inn is a family dining, lodging, and shopping environment.
We look forward to serving you in the future in a hospitable and enjoyable manner.
Sincerely,
William A. Zehnder, President
FRANKENMUTH BAVARIAN INN
Mr. Cannon: Clearly we respect your efforts to bring awareness to the definition of the law and perhaps exhibiting at festivals in public places is a great way of getting the news out about the law and our 2nd amendment rights. I greatly appreciate the 2nd amendment just like you. It appears though that using highly “child and family” focused destinations, unannounced, can create an uncomfortable or confrontational environment where adults of young children who are uninformed, don’t have an interest in anything other than their own personal safety (regardless of their lack of knowledge of the law).
While writing this letter, I went to your site to learn more about your organization. I read the thread of narrative from your members regarding Bill Zehnder’s response. So obviously you know about the above data. You perhaps are intentionally getting clarification for the thread on the Lodge position versus the Restaurant position. So I expand with a series answers and a few questions:
1) Bavarian Inn Restaurant, Bavarian Inn Lodge & Frankenmuth River Place are separate organizations. Ownership in those companies do overlap however. The Open Carry Policy would apply to all locations from now on.
2) We didn’t have a written policy on this issue until you now have asked for one. It wasn’t necessary because no one was forcing the issue. Now through a negative series of situations with one member of your organization a policy is set and your folks unfortunately don’t like the policy. I’m sorry for that. Couldn’t there have been a positive approach to convince Bavarian Inn to your way of thinking instead of forcing a negative response???
3) This policy isn’t about the constitution, it is about trying to thrive in a horrible economy and the other guests (the majority) aren’t comfortable with your display of firearms. Almost ALL we do on ALL policy is to try to get more business… not to lose customers. Please ask your organization how to engage the public positively where families with small children come to visit and they only want to care about FUN, not law, rights and policies. We aren’t built to help you get support for your cause. Use public places to get a positive response – not negative.
4) So reading your thread I have a question. We have multiple liquor licenses at our 1,200 seat restaurant at Bavarian Inn (outdoor, indoor, SDM) and multiple licenses at the Lodge (inside and out which covers Fun Center, Pool areas, etc. and within River Place (Indoor / Outdoor and SDM also) which is a large shopping complex. Do these three organizations NEED to have a policy. I just spoke with a manager who is licensed for Concealed Weapons and without getting out her literature, she thought Malls, places with liquor licenses and restaurants over a certain size are exempt from allowing weapons?
5) Can you please clarify for me if any of these locations really NEED a policy or is the law already defining policy by the nature of our business type?
If you need further clarification regarding these questions, contact me personally. Thank you in advance for considering my questions.
Sincerely,
Jim Engel, GM & C.O.O.
Frankenmuth Bavarian Inn Lodge
989-652-7200