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Joanie was right about Golden Corral

MyWifeSaidYes

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2009
Messages
1,028
Location
Logan, OH
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.
 

Brian D.

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
937
Location
Cincy area, Ohio, USA
Very good work, MWSY. Thing is, some of us "old timers" had this same go-round with Golden Corral several years ago. It sucks to have to retake the same hills time and time again.
 

MyWifeSaidYes

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2009
Messages
1,028
Location
Logan, OH
But really, as frequently as restaurant staff and management change, I accept that we have to occasionally 'remind' these companies of the law.

It's when we can'f get a governmental body to follow the law that I really get bugged.
 

eye95

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 6, 2010
Messages
13,524
Location
Fairborn, Ohio, USA
You handled the matter perfectly, IMO.

I don't see what anyone said that Joanie was wrong about that wasn't wrong. Can you elaborate?
 

MyWifeSaidYes

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2009
Messages
1,028
Location
Logan, OH
Joanie told me she went to Golden Corral and asked if it was okay to open carry. A server or cashier asked a manager and came back and told her "No".

What's our rule of thumb? If there are no signs, don't ask, just do.

I wrote this off as a result of her asking. I figured that if one did not ask first, one would not be bothered.

One was wrong.

This store's manager, to be nice, was misinformed.

Also, he told the lady from corporate that he seemed to recall giving me a choice to take my gun out to my car. If you are given only 1 option, is it really a choice?

I explained to the nice lady that I was NOT given a choice, and should the manager not quite remember what was said, I would happily play back my recording of the event. :D

Voice recorders, people!
 

eye95

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 6, 2010
Messages
13,524
Location
Fairborn, Ohio, USA
She shouldn't have asked. That was wrong. It is still wrong.

We don't ask because it might motivate them to say no when they otherwise would not.

That does not mean that their no was necessarily a reaction to the asking and not a local (and unauthorized) policy. If one thought it meant that, he was wrong. That does not mean Joanie was right about anything other than being told no, and no one disputed that.

Joanie's actions could well have hurt our ability to carry in GC. It turns out that her mistake was harmless. It does not mean that it was not a mistake or could not have been harmful.

Shall we schedule an OC lunch at that Golden Corral?
 

MyWifeSaidYes

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2009
Messages
1,028
Location
Logan, OH
I think open carry lunchs, dinners, breakfasts and between-meal snacks are now on the menu for that restaurant.

I'm having 'issues' with the city of Bexley. Maybe we can combine a walk through Bexley with a lunch at the Grove City Colden Corral (GCGC).
 

eye95

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 6, 2010
Messages
13,524
Location
Fairborn, Ohio, USA
I am off 31 Jul through 4 Aug. I can cut loose one of those days for a Bexley walk and a GC luncheon.

Usual rules, route must avoid SDFSZ (Self-Defense Free School Zones).


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk.

<o>
 

Baked on Grease

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2011
Messages
629
Location
Sterling, Va.
Wait... people still eat at Golden Corral after this came to light?


http://m.nydailynews.com/1.1393620

It's not just that it was happening that got me... it was that no one cared. All the various levels of managment he reported it to told him to shut up cause he doesn't know what he's talking about. It wasn't until the video went viral before GC corporate took action against the owner of that GC.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 2
 

Hareuhal

Regular Member
Joined
May 5, 2012
Messages
209
Location
somewhere
Wait... people still eat at Golden Corral after this came to light?


http://m.nydailynews.com/1.1393620

It's not just that it was happening that got me... it was that no one cared. All the various levels of managment he reported it to told him to shut up cause he doesn't know what he's talking about. It wasn't until the video went viral before GC corporate took action against the owner of that GC.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 2

I don't stop eating at every food place because one location did something disgusting.

The levels of management at that location failed. Assuming every Golden Corral operates that way is a pretty silly thing to do.

I wouldn't eat at that location, but I'll gladly eat at others.


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eye95

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Joined
Jan 6, 2010
Messages
13,524
Location
Fairborn, Ohio, USA
OCer confronts Restaurant Manager for Gun Free Zone Sign -

Golden Corral- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY09_lVQ3jk ...

The person who made the video should have simply done what MWSY did. MWSY fixed the problem with an errant manager's policy by making sure that corporate policy was applied.

No video necessary, just effective action.
 
Last edited:

N605TW

Activist Member
Joined
Oct 17, 2010
Messages
118
Location
Columbus, Ohio
Bexley its giving you troubles? I live verry close to Bexley and haven't had any issues. Where have you had issues?

I work weekends so I miss most of the open carry walks. If anyone wants to do a weekday walk I'm in.

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MyWifeSaidYes

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2009
Messages
1,028
Location
Logan, OH
There are 3 Bexley ordinances that violate ORC 9.68, including a ban on firearms in parks. There are also "No Weapons" signs at the entrance to parks and on the fence around the public swimming pool.

The city attorney does not want to recommend any changes to council.

He also believes that the preschool program in Jeffrey Mansion, run by the Recreation and Parks Department, is a school. It does not meet the definition of a school as per the ORC.

Council is on break until August 13th.
 
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