Ok...found the email addresses on the website sent the following email to the following folks:
randy.norton@gar-sc.com;
mike.ranney@gar-sc.com;
peter.damelio@gar-sc.com;
jim.farley@gar-sc.com;
craig.yoon@gar-sc.com;
david.morgan@gar-sc.com
To whom it may concern,
First and foremost, as of last night; I was Sweetwater’s and Coastal Flats’ biggest fan. My wife and I, my family, her family and all of our friends regularly dine at your restaurants (primarily Sweetwater in Sterling), we are responsible for thousands of dollars of income to your establishment and to your servers.
I have to be honest; it pains me to have to write this letter. I am personal friends with a few of the bartenders and servers as well. Your food and micro brewed beer is hands down, no questions asked the best in Northern Virginia. I have NEVER had a bad meal or poor service at any of your locations. On average the wife and I eat at one of your establishments about…once every 10 days.
All that being said, I am EXTREMELY disappointed in your store management and corporate policy. I am referring to an incident that I read about last night on a pro-gun web forum that I am a member of. From what I read, one of the members of this forum and his wife, dined at the Sweetwater in Centerville, ate with their friends, went to have a smoke at the bar and was asked to leave by management immediately. The explanation given was that Great American Restaurants corporate policy is that they do not allow guns into their restaurants as they are a “family restaurant.” Which is a laughable policy because if you really wanted to embrace the “family” atmosphere alcohol would not be served, but I digress…
There are over 150,000+ people in the state of Virginia that have their concealed carry permit (and growing rapidly). Unfortunately, state law dictates that if you have a gun and choose to carry it into establishment that serves alcohol, you must open carry it. Furthermore, it is up to the individual property owner (in this case a corporation) to dictate if guns are allowed on their personal property or not. I fully support Great American Restaurant’s CHOICE to create a policy that does not allow weapons on their premises. It sure would be nice though if Great American Restaurants was a bit clearer from the beginning on their policy of guns in their restaurants (i.e. a sign on the door???)…but again, I digress…
I am not writing you to discuss the finer points of gun control and gun laws. I am writing you to tell you that my wife and I, my family, my wife’s family and many of our friends will simply NEVER be dining at ANY of your restaurants until your policy is changed.
It disgusts me that your company appears to openly embrace all that is great about America and its past yet it has a policy against personal protection, a basic American right! There are paintings and sculptures of cowboys and the Wild West, showing deep history and a proud stance that America rocks! But your corporate policy shows a much more sinister side; disarming your guests and not giving them the CHOICE to defend themselves and others in the event they need to.
Certainly I can understand the desire and need to kick out an unruly guest who is drunk (I used to be a bartender, I know how people get), disorderly or even waving a gun in the air! But the guest that I am referring to in this letter was not doing any of those things. He was there to enjoy an evening with his wife and friends, something my wife and I have done many, many times.
This letter will be posted on the pro-gun forum that I referenced earlier in hopes that others will be writing you similar messages expressing their distaste in Great American Restaurants corporate policies.
I would love to hear back from someone on the reason this policy exists. Until then, I will be going to Wildfire in the Tyson’s Corner mall which apparently does not have a problem with their guests open carrying.
Thank you,
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Originally Posted by mr surveyor
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