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A restaurant in Indiana is now offering a discount to customers with concealed carry firearm permits. According to the Indianapolis Star, Papa Roux — a Cajun restaurant located in Indianapolis — was robbed on Saturday night by a man claiming to have a gun. In response to the incident, owner Art Bouvier created a 25 percent discount for customers who are legally allowed to carry concealed guns. Bouvier tells WISHTV, "I don't see that it makes anything worse by letting those people think twice about coming in here and thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, there might be people in here that do have weapons.'"
Bouvier explains that he doesn't want Papa Roux to "turn into the O.K. Corral" (the site of the infamous shootout), but he also doesn't want the restaurant to "be an easy target." The restaurant owner introduced the deal in a Facebook post over the weekend in which he defended his decision: "If thugs are going to come in and threaten OUR extended family with guns, you'd better believe I will use every trick I know to protect them. Protect our family, I mean. Not the thugs."
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Photo: Brittany C./Yelp
Not all customers are happy with Bouvier's decision. He tells the Indianapolis Star that a few regulars have said they'll be avoiding Papa Roux due to his stance on guns. Bouvier finds the logic to be "weird": "It's a shame that some people feel they need to stay away. They'll go out to eat with the possibility that a criminal will bring a gun in, but they'll stay away if they think customers might be carrying." Bouvier adds that for the most part he has received an "overwhelming" amount of support.
Other restaurants also opt to support gun-toting customers by giving them discounts. A restaurant in Louisiana offers customers who carry their gun while dining 10 percent off their meal. A Cajun restaurant in Virginia also offers a similar discount. The restaurant introduced a deal in 2013 to offer gun carrying-customers 10 percent off their bill if they bring a gun in on Open Carry Wednesdays. Bouvier did not specify if his discount applies to those who openly carry their guns too. Watch the local news story below:
