TX: Brook's Place BBQ offers Discount for Open Carry

The award winning Texas BBQ place in Houston, Brooks Place, LLC, offered a 25% discount for open carriers on the first effective day of open carry reform. 

Brooks says that it is "not a political thing".  I suspect he is right.  It is a business thing.  After the initial surge, the discount was reduced to 10%.  From yourhoustonnews.com:

There is a place where Houstonians can get BBQ at a discount simply for exercising their right to openly carry their gun. The BBQ trailer located in the parking lot with ACE Hardware and Kroger on FM 529 is owned and operated by Trent Brooks. He opened the food trailer in 2009 after he lost his job. Brooks’ Place BBQ is a popular smokehouse trailer located in Cypress that awards its’ customers a 10 percent discount for carrying their gun to the establishment.

“We support the second amendment. We want to reward those who protect themselves, businesses, families, and neighbors,” said Brooks. “I’m a business man, not a politician. It’s not a political thing. “

For a BBQ business, you may have great product, but you have to find a way to let your potential customers know that you exist.  Brooks Place has found a significant marketing niche.  A discount that costs him little; gains fabulous publicity that he could not possibly afford to buy (articles were run about his business in the Chicago Tribune and the LA Times), and attracts his target market.  Even Governor Abbott noticed, and sent out an approving tweet:

It is hard to see a Second Amendment friendly BBQ in Texas losing any significant business, while it is likely to bring in many customers.  Controversy actually helps.  An idiot threatened Brooks on facebook.  From houstonpress.com:

A facebook post claimed "I'll shoot up the place on Saturday. Let's see how your gun toting patrons will stop me.

Brooks  Facebook page is loaded with rave reviews and pictures of delicious looking meals.  He appears to be doing very well. 

A poor second to attracting customers is not driving them away.  Most businesses can accomplish that by simply not posting any anti-Second Amendment signs.  There may even be a few businesses that attract customers by putting up signs to offend Second Amendment supporters; but it is clear that Second Amendment supporters outnumber disarmists by 3-10 to one, as measured by online polls.  Online polls may not be scientific, but they do a good job of measuring intensity.  When you are worried about attracting or at least, not offending, customers, intensity is what is important.

 Legislators are encouraging the trend to be neutral.  In Texas and Arkansas, there are penalties for public officials who prevent people from exercising their Second Amendment rights without legal authority to do so.  In Wisconsin and Kansas, a measure of immunity against lawsuit is gained if the business allows the carry of weapons.

More and more businesses are finding that being Second Amendment friendly is good business.  Early adopters like Brooks Place receive a disproportionate share of the benefits.

Definition of  disarmist

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