It's like happy hour with added fire power: "Open Carry Wednesday" at the Cajun Experience in Leesburg, Va., means patrons who pack heat get a 10 percent discount on their bills.
Owner Bryan Crosswhite said it's less about the discount and more about the statement.
"It's not about packing heat, he said. "We send a message that this is America and this is our constitutional right."
Crosswhite says patrons came up with the idea for the promotion. He said there have been no incidents in the restaurant since the deal began four weeks ago.
Many diners, including some who visit with their children, appreciate both the deal and the message, Crosswhite said.
"Right now I feel like I'm in safest place in Leesburg, Virginia," said Sterling resident Dana Quirk.
She said she was "absolutely" OK with having her son there.
"Because if someone [threatening] comes through that door, good luck!" she said, laughing.
While it's perfectly legal to openly carry guns in Virignia, some in Leesburg are leery of the dining discount.
"You're not going to hunt for your dinner," said Leesburg resident Anne Meyers. "So I don't know why you'd need a gun in a restaurant."
Lessburg Police Chief Joseph Price agrees, especially since Crosswhite's restaurant serves beer and wine.
"No, sir, I don't plan to go [to the restaurant]," he said, "and having carried a firearm for better part of my adult life, I clearly know alcohol and firearms do not mix."
Not to worry, says Crosswhite. Anyone carrying a weapon and over-imbibing will be cut off.
