It would appear as though The Tomato Head on Market Square in Knoxville, TN, would prefer that their patrons were disarmed, defenseless victims – they have properly posted their premises as off-limits to patrons legally carrying firearms, in accordance with Tennessee State Code 39-17-1359.
To their credit, the sign was exactly the verbiage required by State Code, and was clearly displayed in a frame within the restaurant’s vestibule (right above its fire code certificate and all of the other documents necessary for owning and operating a restaurant). In reality, their posting is somewhat moot, given that the only way of gaining entrance to the restaurant is by way of Market Square, which is a City of Knoxville park, and thus off-limits to law-abiding citizens carrying a firearm with a permit, but it is the thought that counts, after all.
As for the restaurant itself… well, let me put it this way: when the tourist-trappy, captive-audience, mid-grade Bright Angel Restaurant can make a better huevos rancheros than a restaurant that makes a big deal about having those, quesedillas, burritos, and various other Mexican/TexMex/SouthWestern dishes, that restaurant is doing something wrong.
We ate there thanks to having gift cards that offset 2/3s of our costs… even with that, though, we probably will not go back. I will, however, drop them some mail.
Update: Steve in TN reports similar problems with Church’s Chicken.
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Stole your nocarry pic to use at a later date. Also, Boycott Church’s Chicken who can’t seem to understand what TN law says about signage…
http://tinyurl.com/boycottchurchs
Heh, I stole it from someone else (the product of a Google search for “gun free zones”), so feel free
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I have to admit, though, Church’s reaction to your trying to correct them is pretty darned ludicrous. That said, I do not think I would actually try to correct people who are doin’ it wrong – after all, we can ignore non-binding signs
making your voice heard
After my hoplophobic restaurant encounter this weekend, Kevin reminds me that I need to procure some of these. I do, of course, send letters to the owners of establishments that disarm law-abiding citizens, but in-person activism lends a little weight…
I have a smple solution for this little issue. If I cant carry my gun there, I dont need to be there and thus will DEFFINITALY NOT SPEND MY MONEY THERE! I have done this for years! When Kmart spouted off saying that handguns kill kids and they werent going to sell ammo for them anymore, I stopped going there and so did millions of others and we ran them out of business! They survived, but still have not recovered. Walmart, through thier voice and action are anti gun! They still try to cater to the sportsman for the money, but in all reality, they are against us, so I dont shop there ANYMORE! I go to Krogers, or shop locally. IF the door is posted, or they even VOICE A BAD OPINION about mygun RIGHTS, i dont give them my money. Just my thoughts on the subject.
A lot of us have similar thoughts, Spook45 – and a lot of businesses in my area do not receive my money exactly because they do not respect my rights.
They are certainly more than welcome to bar anything they want from their premises, and I am more than welcome to spend my money where I see fit. Works out well.