I, along with my family , have eaten at Sauce on Broadway, in the Target parking lot. I was very disappointed and saddened to see you have posted "no guns allowed" signs in your establishment.
I can't say what your motivations are. It could be anywhere between not thinking through the results of this arrangement and misunderstanding or not knowing the facts, or it could be a deeply ingrained personal belief you wish to express. In case it is more along the lines of the former, let me explain the offense you have shown to patrons like me, and the overall danger to which you expose your clientele, without any benefit at all.
I would also point out the ludicrousness of having this posted behind your cash register. So, a person carrying will have to be all the way in the restaurant, perhaps even having paid, before they see your near hidden sign, and have to remove themselves to go back to their car and leave their gun...or more likely, leave.
I hope you understand, as an establishment with a liquor license, the intense restrictions that already exist without you posting a sign. Even without the sign you have posted, under Arizona law, no one is allowed to openly carry in your establishment, and the only people who can carry are those who have undergone the background checks, training, and testing indicated below, through a Concealed Carry License. Further, that person is legally barred from drinking any alcohol whatsoever. So that is the only person who would otherwise be able to legally carry, and the only person you are excluding. Sounds like one of the most responsible people you could have in your restaurant.
I hope you understand the type of customer you're offending. As indicated, I've been a long time paying client. I would expect you and your employees would have found me polite, pleasant, and responsible, and no trouble whatsoever. I do have an Arizona Concealed Carry license, which means I have passed an extensive law enforcement background check, passed exams on both legal issues related to firearms and practical shooting qualification. I have undergone training and taken the responsibility to defend myself and my family. I carry discretely, at all times, not because I expect anything bad to happen, but because it's worth preparing for the worst case scenario. Because my life and my family's lives are worth it.
No drama, no risk to anyone else, not even a chance to upset some overly sensitive person who is fearful of guns. I daresay there is no downside whatsoever to me being armed in your establishment. I am the type of person who, understanding the law, will abide by your signs, and not enter them with a firearm. Your sign is now telling me I am unwelcome in your establishment. (While you might say, "Oh, you are welcome, not your firearm," please understand that your food is not so great that I would put my family at extra risk by having to unholster a gun, leave it in my car, and walk into your establishment exposed to the violent attackers who will not defer to your piece of cardboard, and I can find someplace else to eat.)
I expect because of the discretion and responsibility of most gun owners, you don't understand how many of your customers meet these criteria and you are offending.
I also hope you realize the ludicrous insanity of this type of sign. You are telling people like me, who abide by the law, they are unwelcome and cannot carry there. It does not for a moment slow down a criminal from carrying in your establishment, and even worse, it attracts those who would commit armed robbery or worse because they can feel comfortable knowing the large portion of Arizona legally armed citizens will not be there to stop them. You may think such a sign is a magical forcefield that keep guns out, but all it does is keep away guns borne by the law abiding, not by any person with ill intentions, or simply no respect for the law. In other words, at its absolute best this policy protects no one, and at its worse it endangers innocent customers.
Let me be clear, you have every legal right to post this type of sign. And I have every right to decide to eat elsewhere. I sincerely hope that after reviewing this information you decide to change your policy. read more