A bar owner in Clemson, South Carolina has received a lot of negative attention after telling gun owners that he doesn’t want concealed weapons in his bar. That might sound reasonable enough, but the owner of Backstreets Pub & Grill, who has identified himself only as “Pete,” used rather colorful language in telling these folks that he doesn’t want them carrying weapons in his establishment. This colorful language includes calling them “losers” and “douchebags.”
The pub owner posted the sign after South Carolina legislature passed a bill that allows concealed weapon permit holders to carry in places that serve alcohol, as long as they aren’t drinking.
The Backstreets Pub & Grill owner felt very strongly about people not carrying in his establishment, which prompted him to post a sign that reads: “NO CONCEALED WEAPONS ALLOWED. If you are such a loser that you feel a need to carry a gun with you when you go out, I do not want your business. Douchebag.”
Check out the offending sign below.
Well this is one business my family and I will never go to in Clemson South Carolina. The backstreet pub qnd grill. pic.twitter.com/igMTwImQTi
— B.J.B. (@Bobbi3jo) March 19, 2014
Interestingly enough, the bar owner’s sign doesn’t meet South Carolina’s sign requirements to legally disallow concealed weapons, which means a CWP holder wouldn’t be arrested for a gun offense if caught carrying in the bar.
Apparently the legal issues with the sign won’t matter too much, as gun carriers aren’t too fond of patronizing establishments where the owners call them losers. After a picture of the sign was posted on Twitter, the owner of the pub received a lot of backlash, with many people calling for a boycott:
@jlhowe @bgoum @BackstreetsPub boycott and see if the Pub enjoys no guns, no business!
— Jim Darcy (@JimDarcy2) March 19, 2014
@theblaze @dryheat115 Here in South Carolina we should boycott this Pub. If we are not welcome our money isn't either. Unarmed for Criminals
— Redlion24 (@eddiern) March 18, 2014
In an interview with WISTV, the pub owner discussed the decision to put up the sign and said he is concerned about his employees.
“I was just frustrated, I had one more thing to worry about,” Pete said. “We have door guys and I don’t want my door guys to get shot if they’re trying to kick someone out and their buddy has a gun.”
Even though Pete says he is a gun owner and has held a CWP, he doesn’t see the point in carrying a gun in a bar. “There’s no reason in a college town to bring a gun into a college bar with college kids and that’s just what I was trying to get passed,” the pub owner said.
So, does the owner have any regrets regarding posting the sign now that he has ticked off a bunch of gun owners and people are threatening to boycott his bar? While Pete still stands firm in his beliefs that gun owners shouldn’t be allowed to carry in bars, he does say he regrets the language he used on the sign. “I’m sorry I used that language,” Pete said. “It just came out wrong because I was frustrated.”
Image via Twitter