MyWifeSaidYes
Regular Member
Two weeks ago, I stopped in to eat at the Golden Corral in Grove City.
Joanie, a fellow open carrier and forum member here on OCDO, was told by someone at that restaurant that she could not carry there.
I told her the problem was that she asked about it instead of just doing it. She didn't want to press the issue because she likes eating there.
Joanie, wherever you are, I'm sorry.
On June 27, my daugther and I went to that Golden Corral. I was open carrying (always do).
After being there about 5 minutes, the general manager asked me if I was law enforcement. As soon as I said "Nope, just a citizen.", he told me I couldn't have my gun in the building.
I was going to put my openly carried gun in the car, but keep my concealed BUG on me. If I didn't have my BUG, I would not have stayed.
Before I could even say 'okay', the manager told me there was a 'local ordinance' against open carry.
Oh. It's ON now, brother!
Me: "A local ordinance?"
Him: "Yep."
Me: "You mean 'company policy'?"
Him: "From what I understand, our local ordinance..."
Me: "No, sir. Not in Grove City. Not anywhere in the state."
He then changed his story to customers becoming uncomfortable.
If he had just said that in the first place, I would have been eating by now.
When I came back in from securing my OC firearm, he said "Thanks" and told me if it was concealed, it wouldn't have been a problem.
THEN he mentioned his employees might be nervous because the store was robbed a month and a half ago.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! WHY DO YOU THINK I AM ARMED IN THE FIRST PLACE! No, I didn't say that.
I asked for the name and phone numbers of the general manager and a regional manager. He happily gave me both. It turns out that he was the GM. I didn't bother calling the regional manager, just in case the misinformation came from him.
I waited about a week to contact the corporate operations department in North Carolina.
Speaking with a lady there, she confirmed for me what I had thought. Golden Corral follows state law. State law says open carry is legal. Period.
I didn't argue with that, at all.
Yesterday, I received a call from the regional manager that I had never called. He told me that he had explained 'company policy' to the general manager. I said that I hoped the GM would share that policy with his staff so no other open carriers would be harrassed. The RM assured me that would be the case. He would also be briefing the management in all of the Ohio stores in his region during his weekly conference calls.
Yay!
So, what I thought wasn't an issue turned out to BE an issue. An issue that should not have been, and is no longer.
Joanie, feel free to open carry at the Grove City Golden Corral any time you like.
Joanie, a fellow open carrier and forum member here on OCDO, was told by someone at that restaurant that she could not carry there.
I told her the problem was that she asked about it instead of just doing it. She didn't want to press the issue because she likes eating there.
Joanie, wherever you are, I'm sorry.
On June 27, my daugther and I went to that Golden Corral. I was open carrying (always do).
After being there about 5 minutes, the general manager asked me if I was law enforcement. As soon as I said "Nope, just a citizen.", he told me I couldn't have my gun in the building.
I was going to put my openly carried gun in the car, but keep my concealed BUG on me. If I didn't have my BUG, I would not have stayed.
Before I could even say 'okay', the manager told me there was a 'local ordinance' against open carry.
Oh. It's ON now, brother!
Me: "A local ordinance?"
Him: "Yep."
Me: "You mean 'company policy'?"
Him: "From what I understand, our local ordinance..."
Me: "No, sir. Not in Grove City. Not anywhere in the state."
He then changed his story to customers becoming uncomfortable.
If he had just said that in the first place, I would have been eating by now.
When I came back in from securing my OC firearm, he said "Thanks" and told me if it was concealed, it wouldn't have been a problem.
THEN he mentioned his employees might be nervous because the store was robbed a month and a half ago.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! WHY DO YOU THINK I AM ARMED IN THE FIRST PLACE! No, I didn't say that.
I asked for the name and phone numbers of the general manager and a regional manager. He happily gave me both. It turns out that he was the GM. I didn't bother calling the regional manager, just in case the misinformation came from him.
I waited about a week to contact the corporate operations department in North Carolina.
Speaking with a lady there, she confirmed for me what I had thought. Golden Corral follows state law. State law says open carry is legal. Period.
I didn't argue with that, at all.
Yesterday, I received a call from the regional manager that I had never called. He told me that he had explained 'company policy' to the general manager. I said that I hoped the GM would share that policy with his staff so no other open carriers would be harrassed. The RM assured me that would be the case. He would also be briefing the management in all of the Ohio stores in his region during his weekly conference calls.
Yay!
So, what I thought wasn't an issue turned out to BE an issue. An issue that should not have been, and is no longer.
Joanie, feel free to open carry at the Grove City Golden Corral any time you like.