Time to Rethink Your Strategy

The Brady folks are bragging about another chain restaurant, one they didn’t get to change it’s policy, since it’s always had a “no guns” policy, but they did get the store to reiterate their policy. What has me concerned is this that Buckhorn Grill is now claiming they were mislead by activists about the nature of the event, and how many people would be there.

Apparently about 100 people showed up with unloaded pistols on their hip, which I’m guessing the restaurant was not expecting. I would not close the door entirely on open carry being used as a means to generate public discussion about liberalizing carry laws, but I think one has to start asking whether this will work in the bay area. At the least, I think the activists need to plan carefully, and make sure they choose venues that are known to be supportive ahead of time, and be thorough with setting expectations for the owners. Every business that lashes back like this because they ended up in a situation they weren’t prepared for is a victory for the other side, and will help the Bradys put pressure on Starbucks.

17 thoughts on “Time to Rethink Your Strategy”

  1. I think these OC activists do us more harm than good, by orders of magnitude. The worst part is they can’t be reasoned with. They’re one of the best PR tools the Brady Bunch has.

  2. Let’s not lose sight that these OC events are being conducted in states that make it very difficult to carry concealed.

    That’s what they’re trying to change and I say good on them.

  3. I am in the “restaurant business.” If 100 new customers showed up at any of my establishments, I’d be overjoyed.

    People who are part of the “gun culture” in America are usually polite, intelligent, law abiding citizens. That kind of clientele is always welcome.

  4. Sebastian,

    I think that in the Bay area, you’re right ….. OC activists should start with firearm-friendly restaurants. And when they talk to a restaurant before-hand, they need to be explicit on how many activists they anticipate having there. That way, the restaurant owner can’t come back and throw us under the bus, at least without some rebuttal.

    Failing that, the activists could point out that they had police officers checking weapons to ensure compliance, and they didn’t have any problems.

  5. This is the part that annoyed me.

    “We organized the event with (Buckhorn management) weeks in advance. They’re backpedaling,” Huffman said. “We spent more than $1,200 plus tips. It’s ridiculous to take our money and stab us in the back a few days later.”

    That’s a pittance for 100 people to spend on a Saturday night at a restaurant. If I were the owner, I’d be after blood that these assholes icertake my restaurant, scare my customers, and then the vast majority of then don’t even order a fucking appetizer.

    I bet – dollars to donughts – that if all 100 (or even 75%) ordered a meal (at a crowded restaurant at dinner – wow why a concept) the owner would have a different tune.

    Sorry Larry, if I was that restaurant owner I’d be even more ticked than he was.

    I’ve been to open carry nights here in NoVA where people show up and only order a coke or two – and expect good service. It’s a disgrace. At least on those occaisoons we only had a table for 8 and everyone else ordered meals and appetizers.

    But this is BS that brought out the worst of out crowd.

  6. Damn iPhone. Icertake should be overtake.

    Larry also said (not to pick on you, sorry): People who are part of the “gun culture” in America are usually polite, intelligent, law abiding citizens. That kind of clientele is always welcome.

    Yes, but we have a big share of nuts, kooks and assholes and these kind of events ALWAYS draw them out (which is why, with very few exceptions, I stopped going to VCDL dinners). And it certainly seemed like the case here (and in Michigan where the guy showed up with an AR 15).

    We are our own worst enemy.

  7. RKBA activists being cheap isn’t exactly news. The gun owners I’ve come across have almost universally been the most generous with their time and ammunition and most miserly with their money of any group I think I’ve ever come across.

    As to the other side, good service is good service. When you hold yourself out to the public and provide a menu where people can order as much or as little as they like, people should expect the same service whether they buy a soda or the Surf & Turf.

  8. Not on a Saturday night at dinner. It’s just assumed that if you take up multiple tables you are ordering food. If you don’t think it is, then you ought to go back to Kindergarten to learn some common sense.

  9. Totally agree with Countertop. Saturday night out at a steakhouse is usually at least $40 per person times 100 is 4000 before tips. This kind of event should tip 20 percent min. So they should have spent at least $4600. And they only spent $1200 with tip!!!! No wonder the owner is blowing them off.

  10. They basically commanders the restaurant, preached to the customers there, and ordered some appetizers and a bunch if cokes.

  11. According to a commentator at SaysUncle’s, this place is actually a sandwich shop and not a steak house with the average sandwich costing $8.95. If that’s the case, then I take back all my criticism on how much they spent.

  12. Time is also an issue,especially for a high turnover casual restaurant. Buying a sandwich, eating it and leaving is one thing, taking up most of the table space for more than an hour is definitely costing them money. Especially on top of any discontent the event itself might cause.

    If you want to hold an “event” you need to book their banquet area or make sure you are making up for any potential lost revenue due to extended table time. That might mean spending more than you normally would. In fact, I’d recommend a preemptive “purer than Caesar’s wife” strategy of over-ordering and over-tipping.

    Nothing will get a restaurant owner and staff behind you like establishing a rep as big spenders. You want goodwill? Suck it up and be willing to overtly buy it.

  13. I’m from Jersey. And an Italian family. Like Steve Martin in My Blue Heaven, I was raised to tip everyone.

    over tipping is ALWAYS a good idea.

    You get more bees with honey than you do with vinegar.

  14. Aaaaaaaaand still once more yet again:

    I favor open carry for both myself and others regardless of the political result simply because, by my assessment from reading the OCDO forums (mainly for entertainment), it improves the general safety of the community. Over and over again, accounts of OC experiences relate the behavioral improvement or retreat of other Citizens displaying the characteristics of serious troublemakers and criminals.

    I’m an outsider to the gun enthusiast community overall, which perhaps allows me a certain objective distance on the matter. So may I respectfully suggest, on that unaligned basis, that individual self-defense should be the primary consideration in your discussions?

    Because I don’t know about the rest of you, but as far as I’m concerned, concerns about potential political fallout, whether negative or positive, take a very distant back seat to those about my individual safety and that of my family, friends, neighbors, and other associates.

    But for you, apparently, concerns about the safety of individuals and their family, friends, neighbors, and other associates instead take a back seat to those about your own personal feelings about potential political fallout.

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