Stores, cafes in Aurora and Colorado aim at open gun-carry controversy

AURORA | At Rocky Mountain Flag and Kite Company, owner Jeff Tomczak doesn’t mind if you tote your pistol into his Aurora shop, whether it’s carried out in the open or concealed.

Posted on the window in front of the shop near East Iliff Avenue and South Peoria Street, Tomczak has a sticker that proudly boasts that his store is gun friendly. He has heard far more compliments for the policy than he has complaints, but Tomczak said he doesn’t know what it means for his bottom line.

“I don’t know if it has affected the business one way or the other,” said Tomczak, himself a concealed-carry permit holder.

Whether it’s a burrito shop, a big-box retailer or a diner on Colorado’s Western Slope, shoppers and diners seem to be the latest participants in the gun debate. Some are taking a similar pro-gun stance like Tomczak, while others are going the opposite direction.

Last week, Target asked customers to not bring firearms into its stores, even where it is allowed by law.

In a statement posted on the retailer’s corporate blog, interim CEO John Mulligan said that Target wants a “safe and inviting” atmosphere for its shoppers and employees.

“This is a complicated issue, but it boils down to a simple belief: Bringing firearms to Target creates an environment that is at odds with the family-friendly shopping and work experience we strive to create,” he said.

The move came just weeks after Chipotle made a similar request of its customers following photos of customers in Texas who brandished military-style rifles in the store.

At the same time Target was asking customers to leave the weapons at home, a restaurant in Rifle was doing the opposite.

At Shooters Grill the staff not only embraces the practice of packing heat, it encourages its customers to carry openly — and its waitresses do, too.

As she takes your order at Shooters Grill in the town of Rifle — yes, Rifle — waitress Ashlee Saenz carries a pad, pen and a loaded Ruger .357 Blackhawk revolver holstered on her leg, Old West style.

It’s loaded, and she knows how to use it.

Colorado is among the states where openly carrying a gun in public is legal. The issue has made headlines after gun rights activists carrying loaded rifles gathered in Target stores in Texas, Alabama and North Carolina to demonstrate their support of “open carry” laws. Last week, Target Corp. asked its customers “respectfully” to not bring firearms into stores, even where a
llowed by law.

But in Rifle, Saenz, her co-workers and her customers at Shooters Grill are encouraged to bring their holstered guns in the restaurant, The Glenwood Springs Post Independent reports.

State law allows local governments and businesses to prohibit guns in their buildings, but a sign on Shooters’ front door reads: “Guns are welcome on premises. Please keep all weapons holstered unless need arises. In such case, judicious marksmanship is appreciated.”

Molly Snyder, a Target spokeswoman, said that Target’s move is a “request and not a prohibition.”

“We don’t have any plans for proactive communication to guests beyond what Target leadership shared today,” she added.

Target does not sell guns in its stores or on its website.

Target Corp. made the announcement as it faced pressure about its policy on the “open carry” of firearms in its stores. A group called Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America gathered nearly 400,000 signatures for a petition asking Target to prohibit shoppers from carrying guns into its stores.

The group has said it is responsible for getting several chains, including Chipotle, Starbucks and Jack in the Box, to make similar moves. It introduced the campaign after gun rights groups carrying loaded rifles frequently gathered in Target stores including Texas, Alabama and North Carolina to demonstrate in support of “open carry” laws.

“Such positive safety changes made by some of our country’s leading retailers are proof of the influence of women and mothers,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “As we look toward election season, we hope our legislators are taking notice that when women and mothers collectively raise our voices — and soon cast our votes, we are determined to leave an impact.”

For Tomczak, the pro-gun stance at Rocky Mountain Flag is a good fit for a customer base looking for patriotic apparel that generally leans to the right of the political spectrum. But he said it is also a chance to show people that guns aren’t something to be scared of, whether it’s him and his staff being armed or customers being armed.

“Part of me wants people to be comfortable with the idea,” he said.