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So there I was, eating the world’s best ham sandwich at Austin’s Baguette et Chocolat, when two cops entered the patisserie and approached the counter. I thought nothing of it. Neither did Heidi. And then my spidey senses began to tingle . . .

Cop one was in a quiet conference with the owner, who stood behind the counter. Cop two positioned himself against a wall, arms crossed, staring across the room. Not at me and Heidi. Across the width of the room.

My first thought: it’s an immigration issue. My second thought: that’s stupid. They’re not Immigration officers. And B&C’s employees don’t seem like the undocumented sort, if you know what I mean.

As Iris Dement recommends, I let the mystery be.

To the point where I asked the not-so-dynamic duo if they were staying dry (a day after Harvey whacked Houston) as I returned to the counter and bought a cup of coffee. They nodded without any apparent understanding or bemusement — not an entirely unfamiliar response to my “clever” comments.

At some point, officer one approached our table from behind.

“Excuse me sir, are you armed?”

As Hunter Thompson reminds us, when the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. In this case — as in all of my various interactions with the constabulary — I became slow-moving, polite and stupid.

“What?” I asked, coffee in mid-air.

I turned to look at cop one, surveyed my surroundings and tried to guess what was about to happen.

“Are you armed?” he repeated.

My ability to answer this simple binary question was short-circuited by the cop’s blue eyes. Paul Newman didn’t have eyes that blue, and his eyes made the blue sky green with envy.

“Yes,” I answered, gathering my wits enough to realize my mistake.

When Texas passed licensed open carry, Baguette et Chocolat put up the requisite big-ass, door-mounted signage banning both open and concealed carry. I shared my disappointment with the manager and politely informed her that she’d lost my custom, and the custom of my TTAG staff.

And then . . . bread. Call me a hypocrite, accuse me of giving aid and comfort to the enemy, but B&C’s baguettes were a siren song this gun rights absolutist couldn’t resist.

Prior to that fateful afternoon, I stashed my gat in the car before entering the patisserie. That day, though, I forgot. I was wearing my Wilson Combat EDC X-9 in a Kydex holster under a T shirt. I was barely printing. But apparently enough to trigger the owner’s PC hoplophobia.

“Did you see the signs?” the officer asked.

“I thought they were just thirty-ought seven signs,” I replied, reckoning that both “no” and “oops, I forgot” wouldn’t cut it.

The officer’s blue eyes clouded with confusion. Clearly, he had no idea what I was talking about.

“Well the law’s always changing,” he said, suddenly trying to help me out. Calm me down. Prepare me for a ticket. Cover the fact that he didn’t know what the hell I was talking about. Something. “Have a look at the signs.”

Seriously? He wanted me to get up, go outside and read the signs? I glanced at his partner. He was deep into his bad-cop-at-a-distance, waiting-to-see-if-the-perp-complies routine.

OK then.

“I’m sorry officer,” I said after pretending to read the signs and re-entering the cafe. “I thought it was no open carry.”

I nodded at Heidi, put on my hat, made another apology and exited B&C stage right.

And that was that.

My bad, right? But I’m still annoyed that the owner called the cops.

I was a regular customer. I’d just bought $30 worth of food. I was with an attractive young lady. I was dressed well. I was calm and polite to his staff. All the owner had to do: ask me to leave and/or disarm.

I suspect I’m persona non grata at Baguette et Chocolat as a result. Luckily, I’m now on the ketosis diet. Even so, it’s a grieving process; I’m in the depression phase. Or maybe it’s just the lack of carbs.

One more thing . . .

Heidi and I were enjoying each other’s company in B&C for a good twenty minutes before the officers rolled up. I wonder if the owner ever considered how long it would take the cops to respond to an armed robbery or other violent incident. Probably not.

* * * * *

We’ve received a number of reports of readers threatening the business in question on their Facebook page and web site. This is probably a tiny minority of readers, but actions like that don’t help the gun rights cause at all. Please refrain from contacting the business.

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324 COMMENTS

    • You’re assuming that RF printed or was otherwise “made.” Another possibility is that someone there remembered him complaining about the no-guns signs and called the cops on the assumption that anyone complaining about no-guns signs is likely to be carrying.

      • Sorry Hal, I’m agreeing with Hellguard. Don’t want to print at all? Don’t wear a t- shirt when you CC. This situation breaks the stupid places with stupid people rule, he did admit to barely printing too.

        • It really depends on your body.

          I’ve carried a full sized USP for a long, long time and often with shorts and a T-shirt without issue. I’ve been “busted” in a locker room with my shirt off and by a hug where the lady in question said “Damn, that ain’t no .380!”.

          The truth is that unless you’re carrying a Derringer in a boot or something your concealment fails from time to time. Most people don’t notice and those with the situational awareness to notice it are generally POTG with the good graces not to make a federal case out of it.

          Other than ultra small pop guns the whole “concealed means concealed” thing is buzzword nonsense meant to sell products and meaningless IRL to boot.*

          * Does not apply in slave states.

    • Seriously, who cares. I print all the time and am not worried about it at all. Some people make their whole lives about working around the fact that they carry.

        • Hey jwm…doesn’t that scooter seat hurt your vagina??? I know GIRLS that would be embarassed to ride that shit.

        • Does your mom count? (I would have said your wife, but we all know no grown man who rides a scooter couldn’t keep a woman satisfied.) I bet it has a secret candy compartment under the seat for when you putt by schoolyards and parks, doesn’t it?

        • You put a lot of thought into that one Special ED. A lot of thought. And half a box of kleenex.

          Now you’ll be hanging around playgrounds after inspiring yourself.

        • Obviously, originality is not you’re strong suit…I bet you are the kind of guy who’d carry a Taurus Judge to try and make up for riding that scooter, eh Scooter?
          Do you park that thing next to or inside your prius?

      • Gee, Special Ed, it’s called an avatar. Like RF’s stuffed elephant. Talk about lacking originality.

        You really must be the pride of your short bus.

        • Special Ed and short bus jokes are all you’ve got,huh? You really are a one trick pony arn’t you? When that chinese scooter breaks down give me a call, I’ll come pick you up…I have a few windows that could use a good licking.
          You should have a pink dildo for an avitar, it’d be less gay than that scooter.

        • Special ED. What scooter? It’s a picture. An avatar. How do I use sign language over the internet to make my point.

          Let me guess. In order to deny your real, closeted self, you drive a truck so tall you have to have a step ladder to get in?

        • Wrong, but thanks for playing. Unlike you, I don’t have to compensate for any SHORT comings. Assumptions get you nowhere, dimwit. I do love how triggered you get over your scooter though….Scooter.

    • Here are the requirements:

      “(B) a sign posted on the property that:

      (i) includes the language described by Paragraph (A) in both English and Spanish;

      (ii) appears in contrasting colors with block letters at least one inch in height; and

      (iii) is displayed in a conspicuous manner clearly visible to the public.” Texas Penal Code Sec. 30.06

      Do you have a source for eye level?

  1. I may be moving to Texas in a couple of years. I sincerely hope they get their stuff together before I do. Signs are bloody everywhere… a total PITA to deal with.

    I know they’re 20 years late to the party, but maybe they’ll catch up in a hurry with the more-free states… the trajectory looks like they might, and I’m hopeful.

    • Moving to Texas is a good idea. Moving to eastern California. (Aka Austin) not such a good plan….

      We have a lot of Cali transplants moving to my area. (Central Texas). I always tell them they are welcome but California political mindsets need to stay in California.

    • Texas may be a mistake. Its really a “rural vs Urban” thing. As texas becomes more Urban, they will fall into the liberal anti-gun trap. They always do.

  2. I’m also licensed in Texas. As much as I support the RKBA, I also support private property rights – even in a leftist epicenter like Austin. I don’t understand why the manger didn’t simply ask you to leave or give you the option to place your firearm in your vehicle. But, good on the officers for being reasonable and defusing what could have been a much more unpleasant situation. As for the cafe, they can set their rules, and we can vote our displeasure with our pocketbooks.

    • I’d say if they want to be PRIVATE PROPERTY, they shouldn’t be OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. And if they can ban people who are partaking in LEGAL, Constitutionally protected activities, then they should be able to ban ANYONE they so choose. But they don’t get to do that. WE are the only ones that quite willingly accept being crapped on as second class citizens.

      • I agree. If a private business can ban legal firearms carriers they should be able to ban whomever they please for whatever reason they please, including for religious and racial and sexual orientation and all other reasons. If the law is going to prohibit private businesses from excluding people based on those protected classifications it should prohibit exclusion based on protected 2nd Amendment grounds as well. If you, as a business owner, don’t like this, then don’t own a business. Sorry, if the cake people can be forced into serving gay customers then the baguette people should be forced into serving armed ones. But, just to be completely clear, my STRONG preference would be that private businesses are free to determine who they will and won’t serve for any damn reason they choose.

        • This. I also prefer no special privileges for anyone but since the State is picking and choosing winners I refuse to be a chump. Bend over property owners.

        • Sheesh. They can ban CC because the law SAYS they can. If the law said they could ban religious minorities then they could. But they can’t because it doesn’t.

        • “Sheesh. They can ban CC because the law SAYS they can. If the law said they could ban religious minorities then they could. But they can’t because it doesn’t.”

          I think you missed the point.
          The law can’t say a business can discriminate religious minorities (or majority); that would be illegal.
          But the law can (and does) say a business can discriminate against another protected class: those who carry arms.
          And that’s the problem.

    • I agree with that, but rules for businesses open to the public have a host of regulations on them, infringing already on their “private property” rights. So which is it? Do they have those rights or don’t they?

    • Businesses owners should have the right to refuse service for pretty much any reason they please (including the previously mentioned gay wedding cake). What they should not have is the power to have you arrested or fined for violating their dress code.

  3. Full of youthful indignation. Concealed means concealed and barely printing doesn’t cut it. If you had stuck to your principles you would have never gone back when the signs went up. You were wrong and the owner was in his rights (whether you or I think the law is bad, is immaterial).

    • Sounds to me like RF is simply wondering why the police were called instead of the owner addressing the problem himself like a reasonable adult. Clearly he wasn’t there to shoot up the place seeing as how he brought a guest and ordered a meal, so any potential fear on the part of the owner is just nonsense.

      And if you’ve never once printed in public then I’m going to guess your primary carry gun is a miniature .22 derringer, possibly keistered?

      • Now hold on a minute. Let’s not make unjustified assumptions. Many people are capable of keister-carrying a firearm much bigger than a .22 Derringer. There are entire families capable of carrying a .45ACP Gov’t Model that way. Consider the Kardashians. I rest my case.

    • Concealed means concealed and barely printing doesn’t cut it.

      The police had to ask him if he was armed. That means nobody knew for sure. He could have just as easily had an empty holster in there, or something else. Eventually, someone will notice your printing in the long run. So “concealed means concealed” is more like a guideline than a rule. Ideally you want it concealed. But if your body type is say… larger than others (not saying Robert’s is – just providing an example) or if it is very hot outside, like say you live in Texas, you have to weigh the risk of discovery vs the burden of wearing a bunch of other unnecessary crap for concealment, or reducing the size of your carry piece to appease those whose feelings need appeasement.

      • “He could have just as easily had an empty holster in there, or something else. “

        It is Texas.

        “No, officer, that’s my Tabasco holster.”

        • I’m saying, it could have been an empty holster, or not a holster at all – meaning something else. Further, to comply with the law, with some holsters, it might be easier to leave the holster on and leave the gun in the car – hence – an empty holster. Regardless, I’m of the opinion, people should try to print all the time when they are not armed.

        • Scarf, “Tobasco holster”…
          LoL

          “Sir, do you have a gun?”
          “No. I’m just happy to see you?”

    • “Barely printing doesn’t cut it”. You don’t carry. Period. “Printing” isn’t, hasn’t, and never will be a big deal. Only feminine liberals care about “printing.”

    • “(whether you or I think the law is bad, is immaterial)”

      Not according to the first amendment.
      “and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” is right there. We are absolutely allowed to not only think the law is wrong, but to civilly protest against any law we think is wrong.
      Just how far we want to carry that protest is up to the individual.

  4. Darn it, losing your favorite close by bakery through this nonsense is sad, but you need to send a VERY polite, very low key email to the owner telling him that you won’t be back, that your staff won’t, that you have informed the Gun World of the fact, and that you will gladly return with your daily dollars when he takes down the sign.

    You might also try a gun free zone app, if you haven’t already, and post the place as “not 2A friendly”.

    My favorite bakery has armed staff….. including the owner – and her husband is a cop. If you come to Spokane we can go there together. LOL.

    John Davies
    Spokane WA

  5. If I were breaking the law I would certainly NOT be posting about it on my blog. As said, concealed means concealed and whining about a place within their rights under the law is going to do little good, especially within the confines of private property.

    • Except it’s not really private property. They certainly don’t have “private property rights” given our current laws regarding businesses open to the public. I agree in that they should have that right, but to be honest… do they really? Allowing leftists to forbid freedom of association, force safety rules, and also to forbid 2A rights because private property trumps them, gives them the best of all worlds while leaving others with the short stick.

      • Private businesses do indeed have property rights, and some of them are even enshrined in law.
        And we, as customers, have the right (still allowed by law) to vote with our feet and wallets.

  6. It sucks but you have to pay attention. I expect the proprietor would also be unhappy if you put down a robber using a weapon (e.g. pepper spray, knife, martial arts) that was legal to carry inside the place.

  7. Robert Farago got treated like the trespasser that he was.

    First shame on you for supporting an anti 2nd Amendment establishment. I thought by now you would have cut and pasted your 2nd Amendment inalienable rights script enough to actually mean it and not support those who don’t support us.

  8. Funny when a white conservative is treated like those he despises. “I was a regular customer. I’d just bought $30 worth of food. I was with an attractive young lady. I was dressed well. I was calm and polite to his staff. ” Kinda sounds like the majority of those protected by DACA.

    The animosity you foment will someday be returned upon you Robert. Whether wittingly or not, you are a part of the right wing echo chamber that stirs up hate and someday will have that brought to your doorstep when your readers come after you for your Jewish heritage and are too stupid and insulated in right wing rhetoric to understand that you are not even a practicing Jew.

    Just read some of the absolutist non-compromising responses to this thread.

    • “Look at all those illegal immigrants getting kicked out of restaurants for being brown” -No one ever

      Seriously dude, what the actual fuck are you smoking?

    • As an American, as a Soldier, as an armed man, and as a Christian I will defend to the death Robert’s right to live as a Jew. My heritage is German, so what about it? I rebuke you for your assinine statements, you poor fool; don’t paint me with your brush!

    • “Just take advice from some of the 2A absolutist non-compromising and common sense responses to this thread.”

      Fixed it for you.

    • “Kinda sounds like the majority of those protected by DACA. . .”

      I’m sure the DACA folks are perfectly nice people, but being perfectly nice doesn’t alter the fact that they are not citizens and are in rather overt violation of our country’s laws. A goodly portion of the DACA “kids” (most are not) are bilingual, have American educations often with college degrees. Affluent people around the world send their children to this country just so they can acquire the very skills the DACA illegal aliens also possess. Businesses in their home countries would be happy to hire someone with those skills. Of course they might feel like ex-pats if they moved to their home countries. But, then the ex-pat experience has always had a certain romantic appeal to people seeking to add a little adventure in their lives.

      Oh, and we like Jews, but then we also like capitalism along with guns. The Nazis were socialists. Along with fascism they were the “right wing” of the left wing. Look it up.

      • ” The Nazis were socialists. Along with fascism they were the “right wing” of the left wing.”

        Just a small point…
        The Nazis were socialists, not fascists.
        The Italians under Il Duce were fascists.
        (I knew paying attention in civics class would eventually pay off! 🙂 )

        • Fascism is a form of socialism. Under fascism, the one-party state controls the means of production but private property remains in private hands. Nazism is based on fascism. Throughout WWII Nazis paid royalties to GM’s Swiss office. GM owned the Adam Opel Werks which made arms for the German army. The last payment was made in April, 1945.

    • The difference being that RF didn’t go on a violent raging protest and burn down office buildings, break windows and call for the deaths of police officers.

    • Rammerjammer you are WAY off base. Don’t confound being pro-2A with any necessity whatsoever to be across-the-spectrum conservative, right wing, etc. That’s gross simplification and stereotyping and it’s as idiotic as it is intellectually dishonest. Real people can have opinions on every conceivable part of the political spectrum depending on the topic. Second Amendment rights are not married to immigration, sexual orientation, racial, religious, etc etc politics or opinion and you do yourself a great disservice to pretend otherwise. At its root, you’re as bigoted as the KKK.

    • you left out one part??

      under DACA you ARE a law breaker and admitted as such.

      This writer missed the signs at the door and did not on purpose come into the shop VIA the BACK DOOR! Then asked or demanded FREE products and service!!!

      • Your other point notwithstanding, this writer didn’t for a second miss the sign on the door. He says so right in the article. He played dumb with the cops, but his love of baguettes outweighed his convictions, to wit “baguettes were a siren song this gun rights absolutist couldn’t resist” — maybe he should stop using the word absolutist, and instead go with “advocate” — and he went there anyway. Moreover, it’s not the first time he’s done so, as he said he usually “stashed my gat in the car before entering the patisserie.” The only difference this time was that he kept his gun on his person.

        • I used to not understand how people can forget, because even after a couple years of carrying I was still intimately aware of the weight of my gun.

          More recently, I have forgotten, because I simply don’t think about it. Because I carry all the time, everywhere when I’m out of the house, I’m much more likely notice the lack of my gun than its presence. I once walked all the way to the gates of the Magic Kingdom without remembering to dispense with my gat. That was a long walk back to the car.

          All of this does not negate my comments re: convictions.

    • Funny when a white conservative is treated like those he despises. “I was a regular customer. I’d just bought $30 worth of food. I was with an attractive young lady. I was dressed well. I was calm and polite to his staff. ” Kinda sounds like the majority of those protected by DACA.

      DACA? That came out of nowhere. Has nothing to do with this event. At all.

      The animosity you foment will someday be returned upon you Robert. Whether wittingly or not, you are a part of the right wing echo chamber that stirs up hate and someday will have that brought to your doorstep when your readers come after you for your Jewish heritage and are too stupid and insulated in right wing rhetoric to understand that you are not even a practicing Jew.

      Animosity… foment… returned to you. Echo chamber… hate… your doorstep. Here I am waiting for the punchline or the explanation and here it comes… Jew. LOL. WTF.

      …and are too stupid and insulated in right wing rhetoric to understand that you are not even a practicing Jew

      LOL! Of course he isn’t a practicing Jew. He has said openly, before, even on this blog, that he is of Christian faith.

      right wing rhetoric??? armed self defense is a small aspect of the “right wing” And how on earth would right wing rhethoric prevent him in understanding that he isn’t a practicing Jew?? Absolutely hilarious. If you were on a street corner, I would have dropped you some money. You earned it.

    • “white conservative”
      You must be new here.
      Funny, it seems like you just used a stereotype to push a political narrative….. Ironic as hell, too, since you’re doing what you’re implying the author is.

  9. I’m glad I live in AZ where I can literally open carry into places with no gun signs and not even get a second look.

    (not making that up either)

  10. I’d go back in without a sidearm, and apologize, tell them you always locked up your gun in the past, see what kind of response you get.

        • Libel? Why do you need to make up stuff like that to embellish your argument?

          He didn’t say untruthful reviews, he said unflattering reviews.

          I’m sure RF could fund some accurately scathing words to describe how the management treated a regular customer who forgot to leave his sidearm in a convenient spot for thieves to grab.

        • Libel would be publishing something demonstrably untrue. I didn’t suggest that in any way, shape or form.

          Besides I doubt that anything will make them “rethink their prejudice against gun owners”.

        • I would do the review based entirely on the food and service. I would make potential customers aware of the owner’s position on guns in the comments. I think fairness will product better results than bashing.

        • “Libel would be publishing something demonstrably untrue. I didn’t suggest that in any way, shape or form.” – Fair point. I overreacted to the term “bad reviews”, since I dislike the current trend of online reviews being used as a revenge tool by angry mobs rather than for their intended purpose (a tactic used by the anti-hunting crowd, among others). Reviews giving fair warning to armed customers would be fair, and arguably not “bad” (since the proprietors don’t want armed people there). Based on the article, it doesn’t seem that he can say anything bad about the food itself.

          While the negative review approach may be satisfying, it is also likely to convince the owners even more strongly that people who carry guns are vindictive, reinforcing their decision to keep such people out. It might even give the Trace or their ilk another example to promote their “gun bully” narrative.

          An alternative (but less personally satisfying) aproach would be to go back (making triple sure to leave the gun behind) and apologize, explaining that he usually leaves it in his vehicle (showing that he respects their property rights) but forgot that one day. And, of course, because no one’s memory is perfect, the only way to be sure it doesn’t happen again is to (regretfully) not go there again while they’ve got the signs up. If he’s polite and reasonable enough, they should come to the conclusion on their own that calling the police was an over-reaction without him even mentioning it. There’s at least a small hope that his explanation will chip away at whatever impression they have in their minds of armed citizens being dangerous individuals that they can’t even talk to.

        • I see nothing wrong at all with pointing out that the food was fine and the service was good up until the point the police got involved and doing so with an end line of “If you support the 2A be aware that these folks apparently don’t and you might want to consider spending your dollars elsewhere.

          There is absolutely nothing wrong with using such a tactic. I used it against a motorcycle dealer and they called me the very next day asking how they could make things right. I told them, they did it, I changed the review to reflect this.

          Businesses tread on their reputation. As long as you’re telling the truth about their behavior it is they, not you, who is the vindictive one. If they care about their image they’ll shape up. If not, well let them run their business any way they like.

          If these folks are willing to fuck with a regular like this then they clearly put their anti-gun ideology above raking in dollars from gun owners. That’s their prerogative. It can just as easily be ours not to give them said dollars.

          Given the situation I’m not sure anything other than outright business pain is going to change these people’s behavior. In fact, I don’t much care if that behavior changes or not but I would certainly warn other people about their attitude because it’s pretty clear they’re in a “call the cops first and ask questions later” type of mentality that could go sideways for the gun owner the next time they try it.

          I am under no obligation to be nice to people who are not nice to me. Ask me politely to leave or go put it in my car? No problem. Call the cops right off the bat? Fuck you. Do so to a regular customer? The owner’s an out and out asshole.

      • Ok, plan B, score a used insulin pump on eBay and some ostomy bags at the pharmacy, position appropriately under a thin shirt and keep going back for lunch. Embarrassing the hell out of them would be humorous.

      • I am with strych9.

        Write a poor review which says exactly what happened. Something like this:
        “I was pleasant and nice to staff and guests and enjoying a tasty meal quietly with a lady friend. Then, 20 minutes into my meal, police showed up and told me that I had to leave for allegedly violating a restaurant policy. Management never extended any courtesy to me to state their policy nor politely ask for my cooperation.”

        That is exactly what happened and it shows that management is neither courteous nor polite. That is not libel.

        • “Management never extended any courtesy to me to state their policy nor politely ask for my cooperation.”

          Except for the signs (plural) on the doors.
          That’s sort of like telling the LEO, “Sorry, officer, I didn’t know what the speed limit was” after he watched you pass speed limit signs (plural).
          It’s an excuse that just won’t fly.

        • Big Bill,

          I meant that restaurant management never extended their guest the courtesy of stating their policy and asking for cooperation face-to-face.

          Customer service is a hallmark of EVERY restaurant and being friendly/polite to your customers is the hallmark of EVERY business. That means having a friendly exchange with any customer who is violating a business policy. And that means explaining the policy verbally face-to-face in case a customer did not see signage. It also means explaining the policy verbally face-to-face in order to give the customer a chance to cooperate with the policy. Going straight to expelling customers is BAD BUSINESS practice.

        • I don’t see any commenters considering the other point of view. If a pistol packer was inside my business despite posted policy, should I ask him to remove the pistol or leave? Maybe he’d pull the weapon on me!

          Call it ignorance, prejudice, anti-carry or whatever.
          There’s always another point of view.

  11. I love being in Indiana, no gun signs do not carry the weight of law. The worst they can do is ask you to leave. But I tend to not do business with any company that doesn’t welcome me and my little friend.

  12. You actually went in a place called “Baguette et Chocolat” and you’re surprised that they called the cops and kicked your ass out? I wouldn’t eat at a place like that just because of it’s poofter-Frenchy name. And I dam sure wouldn’t in AUSTIN, TEXAS! Scheech, Robert, you must live north or something.

    • Frankly, there are few gustatory delights more pleasing than some milk chocolate stuffed into a piece of very fresh baguette. If you see this treat consumed by pretty French prep school girls in Paris, the flavor just improves.

      i find this entire post depressing simply because it reminds me of my we-lived-together French-speaking college girlfriend, whom I abandoned in a prolonged fit of law-school inspired depression. Sometimes life is hell.

      I certainly can’t blame RF for his preference. Do they have take-out?

  13. Don’t patronize your political opponent’s business. They must learn, as we have, there is a price to their positions on matters political.

  14. “I was wearing my Wilson Combat EDC X-9 in a Kydex holster under a T shirt. I was barely printing… I suspect I’m persona non grata at Baguette et Chocolat as a result.”

    Let’s be really real here for a second.

    Were I a betting man I’d lay a hefty wager that you were already persona non grata at this establishment and that this is the way they decided to let you know about it.

    I highly suspect that this is a case of not having the cojones to confront you directly which resulted in them deciding to let the boys in blue do that work for them.

    These people almost certainly didn’t simply notice you “barely printing” and call the cops. Non-gun people don’t do that because they 1) are generally oblivious and 2) don’t know what they’re seeing when they see it. These people knew who you were in advance and they had already decided that they didn’t like you. They don’t like you because you’re pro gun and, as evidenced by their signage, they are not. As evidence of this I’d submit that 1) You’re a regular who has never caused trouble before and 2) you just spent a decent amount of money at their establishment AND they’ve disregarded both of these facts and decided it’s worth screwing with you anyway.

    That’s just MHO, and maybe I’m wrong, but I really, really, really doubt they noticed you “barely printing”. They guessed and/or based this on prior knowledge (since you’re a regular) and used it as a pretext to fuck with you.

      • “Doesn’t explain why they never called all the times he went after leaving his gun in his vehicle.”

        Rank stupidity explains a hell of a lot of things. Combine it with smug arrogance and you can explain 95% of the oddball stuff like this that you might happen to see.

        They could have decided to watch RF like a hawk because they didn’t like him. Or this could have just been the time when they decided to screw with him.

        There’s no legal downside for them if they couch their language correctly and say “I think that guy has gun”. If they’re wrong they didn’t say they saw it and knew for sure they’re merely articulating a suspicion.

  15. And that is why I NEVER… Let me repeat, NEVER spend my hard earned money in any establishment that doesn’t allow or want people to exercise their second amendment right. If you as a business owner won’t allow me to carry in your place of business, then fine. I will NEVER shop there. My wife and kids won’t shop there, and I will tell all my friends to not shop there. I will do what I can to negatively impact your business financially. I will also share your business name in all of the “gun sites” I am subscribed to on Facebook, Instagram, and any other social media outlet. Don’t want my gun in there, then you won’t ever get a dime from me.

    • Exactly what I do. It’s called: “voting with your dollars”. Since all our other votes have been rendered irrelevant now by widespread voting fraud, that is the only vote we have left.
      But it’s probably easier for me in Montana than for others. Antigun businesses(unlike people, we have plenty of them) don’t survive long here. Good for you, as it is likely much harder for you than it is for me.

  16. Wait a minute. How did the the two cops walk in armed without getting thrown out by the proprietor? I thought no one armed means, well, no one armed? Am I to beleive some animals are more equal than others? Cali on the left coast, New York on the east and Texas on the Gulf. Oh Texas, how the mighty have fallen! I hear that next year the Alamo will be removed due to cultural insensitivity to Mexico.

    • They called to report two men with guns, but police response was slow, so the first two cops left before the next six got there. When they called to report six men with guns, the dispatcher decided it was a prank caller and hung up on them.

  17. Hey RF do these cretins have a FB page?Do they advertise? Have a neighborhood presence? Let’s all leave 1 star ratings-or worse. Spend $ and get treated like shite…😫

  18. Give up the ham sammich when you try pork salad. Smoked pork tenderloin, ground, honey mustard and mayo, makes a mean sammich and yes cold pork salad is tastier than chicken salad. Just made a 2 quart container full today.

    I won’t support SA any longer, even though the XD i bought it years ago I would trust with my life, 10,000 + rounds so far and no issues. Not another. I don’t support anti 2A just as I would not support anti 1A. Atheists can kiss my …… how can they be offended by that which they claim does not exist?

    As least guns are real. And scary cause they might jump outta the holsters on their own and mayhem ensues.

    • “Give up the ham sammich when you try pork salad.”

      He needs to try ‘Polk Salad’, especially when made by a woman named Annie…

      • That stuff is poke salad, and was called that because you picked a bunch and put it in a poke (sack, bag). When I was a kid my mom use to make the stuff – she told me that you have to boil it three times unless you needed a laxative.

      • In 1969 we went to see Steppenwolf at the Spectrum in Philly.

        The opening act was someone we never heard of. He came on stage with his guitar. A drummer came on with nothing but a snare drum. The act was Tony Joe White. We were amazed, like his guitar playing as much as Mark Knopfler did, and thought at the end of the night he was more worth the ticket price than Steppenwolf.

        Poke salad: When Aretha Franklin heard the song, and Rainy Night in Georgia, she got in touch with TJW to do some studio work. When she found out he was actually white she was stunned.

        • “The opening act was someone we never heard of.”

          Yeah, I had me a pleasant surprise with an opening act once.

          The girlfriend wanted to see ‘Starship’, and I grudgedly bought the tickets, expecting to suffer through ‘We built this City’. (Cut me break on this one, you know how it is, I wanted in her pants.)

          Well, I *did* suffer through ‘We built this City’ (and never got in her pants), but the opening act was ‘Night Ranger’, and they blew the ‘Starship’ off the stage with a tight, powerful set:

        • My “suffered through” is from a different genre, but it’s also the first concert I ever went to. I was a kid, and my parents took me with them to see the Statler Brothers. The opening act was a young woman just getting started… Reba McEntire. Thirty-some years later, I don’t remember the Statler Brothers act, but I remember hers.

        • ” Thirty-some years later, I don’t remember the Statler Brothers act, but I remember hers.”

          The music I prize the most has come from stumbling across it somewhere else than commercial radio.

          From that genre, give Nanci Griffith a listen, sometime.

          (So, it was *YOU* that gave me that FLAME DELETED above, I see! I was about to blame RF or Dan… 🙂 )

  19. RF, thanks for sharing your story. It was informative and entertaining. It takes a lot of courage to admit to making a mistake in a very public and critical environment. The “always-perfect” crowd in the comments should lighten up, this was a victimless “crime.” I appreciate your candor and integrity to come out and tell the readership about this particular situation. You have my thanks. Please ignore the haters.

    • The only crime here is the crime of hypocrisy, of RF spending money at a clearly anti-2A business after spending years preaching to all of us about how we should “vote with our dollars” and not do business with such establishments.

  20. The lesson here is concealed means concealed. You weren’t concealing too well. Time to reevaluate how you are doing it. And screw that owner.

  21. On a personal level, RF’s patronizing an anti-Second Amendment establishment is no different than Springfield Arms making nice with anti-Second Amendment politicians. Perhaps we should all abandon TTAG.

      • Here is an example of someone who neither knows what a troll is and lacks a sense of humor.

        However, If one is a Second Amendment absolutist one does not give money to am anti-Second Amendment establishment unless there is no option. A ham ssndwitch does not constitute a no option situation.

        Robert “sold his soul” for a ham sandwitch.

        • I admit to being in a less than nice mood last night. Having reread I offer an apology. Should have thought a little harder before shooting (pun intended) my mouth off.

    • It’s hypocritical for sure. Not sure if it’s anywhere near the level of a multi million dollar scheme to undermine an entire state’s worth of small buisness’s though.

      • On second thought it is more like Glock passing money to anti-gun politicians in California and New York so they can sell guns to the local 5-0

  22. Oh look at the rabid leftist. You are doing something I don’t like and even though it has no impact on my life I’m going to force you to stop it. Yay for libtards. Carry on RF

  23. Just to be clear Robert I side with you. Hunter s. Thompson is how he goes. Either way I appreciate your point of view. You weren’t a threat, even if you were treated as such I’m sorry in the USA you had to undergo an indignity. You had every right to ccw to protect you and yours. We should start a list of non friendly ccw places.

  24. I was wearing my Wilson Combat EDC X-9 in a Kydex holster under a T shirt.

    I would go back there and order a water, drop a huge bomb in their toilet and plug it up with TP and my pile, and order the cheapest item on the menu while setting up the laptop for a long haul of surfing. All while continuing to wear the Kydex with a cell phone stuffed in it. The owner or employee will again call the cops, and when the cops arrive you can say “no” instead of “yes.” Cops will be annoyed, owner or employee will be annoyed, and you can continue to do this over and over again ad-nauseum until they recognize the uselessness of it.

    I was a regular customer. I’d just bought $30 worth of food. I was with an attractive young lady. I was dressed well. I was calm and polite to his staff. All the owner had to do: ask me to leave and/or disarm.

    A) They are leftists. They vote democrat. Democrats call the law before providing any courtesy. Of course they are not going to talk to you about it, that could be… “uncomfortable.” And with leftists, life is about feelings and comfort. Of course they are not going to ask you to disarm or leave.

    B) It doesn’t matter how many times you come by their shop or how much money you spent there, how well you were dressed or how polite you were. According to CNN, Washpo, and many others, you are a horrible white supremacist, gun toting anti-government extremist baby killer.

    C) You live in Austin. The micro-California within Texas. You went to a restaurant called “Baguette et Chocolat.” Just given the locale, and the name of the restaurant, I would have immediately guessed that the restaurant would have some decent tasting, high priced food, loaded with leftists. The employees were probably even art history majors or had art history degrees, or in these times… gender studies. Furthermore, the owner or employees may not have even spotted your carry arm. It could have been another leftist customer, who was offended, told the management, and had you expelled “IBS victim on a toilet” style

    I wonder if the owner ever considered how long it would take the cops to respond to an armed robbery or other violent incident. Probably not.

    Robert. The sign isn’t for murderers, rapists, or robbers. They are for you. The sign is for you. They are completely aware that real criminals won’t care about the sign. The sign is for people like you.

  25. No pity.

    You knew and compromised your principles.

    No gun sign = No money.

    Too many who carry disrespect the law, and set themselves up with potential confrontations with police. It’s stupid to put yourself as an adversary with the law for your personal convenience and it’s stupid to give money to those who would gladly sacrifice our rights.

  26. The person that called RF in is a f#cking idiot on many levels and so is the person if not the same that posted those signs. Even if I was not a person of the gun, I would do a double take at those signs and wonder what the hell kinda place this was that felt they had to resort to that sort of paranoia about carrying a gun in there. Are they a frequent target of stop and rob? To they attract a bad clientele? Is there something else going on there besides bagels and java? Forget carrying a gun in there. Maybe a bazooka is more what’s called for. I feel your pain dude. One of my all time favorite college hangs from 40 years ago was purchased by a foaming at the mouth hoplophobe, yuppy scumbag lawyer, who as soon as a similar law passed in our fine state was the absolute first business in the city to post gun busters and called the newspaper to toot his own horn about it. I haven’t been in there since. I even have some of those glossy “gunbuster = $ buster” business cards that a local gun social media site was giving out, that I meant to take into the place and personally hand the owner one. It’s just too stupid and painful. That BS along with the civil war statues being removed around here signals that the liberal idots have won. We are living in an IDIOCRACY.

    • Back before Illinois had concealed carry, I was at a business and the owner had a “no gun” sign up. I asked him “do you think that the type of people who will rob you will actually abide by it?” and he said “well it can’t hurt.” Couldn’t help but get a laugh from that one.

    • If he was ignoring the attractive woman to surf gun websites, he’s got a greater problem than his baguette addiction.

  27. They are anti-gunners and had RF fingered the moment he told them they lost his business when the sign went up…I suspect they were incensed and noted that. When he returned, the noticed and that was just time to score points and enjoy some schadenfreude, rather than act like adults and customer-focused business folks about the entire matter.

    Today’s lesson is…never trust or patronize anti-gunners, no matter how good their food or other services are. They are statist authoritarians and vindictive as hell over the most trivial perceived slights. They aren’t nice people and will screw you over the first chance they get.

  28. I dont want to rake you over the coals Robert, but how do you forget that you were packing heat? Especially when you tote something that weighs over 2 pounds when fully loaded?

    I was recently treating myself to some tasty BBQ at the local Mission BBQ when nature called. As I entered the bathroom, I noticed that someone had left their very expensive Kimber Raptor 1911 on the toilet paper dispenser. How do you forget any gun, especially one that pretty and expensive?

      • I did the right thing and turned it in despite the devil on my shoulder. Mission BBQ supports the military and first responders. The place is usually crawling with police officers. There were about 16 sheriffs there, so I politely interrupted their lunch and asked them if anyone had left their sidearm In the bathroom. They all looked at who I suspected was the rookie in the bunch, checked their holsters, and reminded me that with their salaries they couldn’t afford a kimber in the first place. Then they proceeded to go retrieve the gun.

    • 30.06 for concealed carry and 30.07 for open carry. You need to hang both signs to cover both if you are a business owner. Of course if you don’t pat people down or have metal detectors it’s just security theater.

  29. So, if I ever am around that store, and I see a bulge under the shirt of one of the employees, I should call the police on them? Sweet! Sarcasm, of course. One better. Go to the store unarmed with my phone tucked under my shirt. If they call the police, the owners and their employees get to deal with my lawyer who is a blood sucking, greedy bastard. I think he has been eyeballing a Tesla, and would gladly put this store out of business to get one.

    • Yeah, get that iphone gun case to help sell the point. And something needs to hurt when going through the ordeal, preferably neck or back.

  30. I have just moved to Houston. I am fairly new to shooting sports and brand new to concealed carry. I have an LTC inTexas. It is bewildering how many places I cannot carry. Stories like this make it seem like it isn’t worth it to carry.
    What this story says to me is how uncompromising the opposition is. At every level, they never relent or compromise. WE DO NOT GET IT ! We try to be reasonable and accommodating and polite. They make no effort. I hope the damn ham sandwich was worth being spit on because that is what happened. They didn’t have the courage to do it themselves but used the local constabulary.
    Who will eventually win this “conflict” over gun rights ?
    I have a pretty good idea.

    • “Who will eventually win this “conflict” over gun rights ?
      I have a pretty good idea.”

      So do I.

      *We* are winning the PR battle on gun rights, and *that* is what is driving the shrill “blood in the streets” from the gun-grabbers.

      Public opinion is *solidly* on our side outside of the Leftist-controlled big city ares…

      • Probably a good time to point out that the *vast* majority of the population of the United States reside in “Leftist-controlled big cities”

      • While I agree that we are winning and that the numbers currently favor us and opinion is trending in the correct direction, I’m not sure if solid is the right word. Someone who recently changed their opinion might be part of the ever waffling middle.

    • “What this story says to me is how uncompromising the opposition is.”

      Which is why so many people are giving RF well-earned shit about this. If we want to win, we need to be just as uncompromising, which includes not giving money to people who want to take your rights away. Even if you really want a ham sandwich.

      Sure, a few bucks for lunch doesn’t seem like much, but we gave away our rights a tiny bit at a time. We can take them back the same way.

  31. The big question………will you go back again?

    They exercised their right to prevent you from exercising yours…….and you went back.

    Now theyve called 5-0 on you to rub your nose in it.

    Gonna slide back in now.? Hands in the air?

  32. Serves ya right for patronizing such a pretentious, foufou joint. Real men eat their ham on rye, not a baguette. Rye. With caraway seeds that get stuck between their teeth. And with brown mustard, not that thin yellow gruel that looks like crap from a bottle-fed baby.

    And there’s gotta be a pickle.

  33. RF,

    Austin? Really? I assume staging a protest outside the store is out of the question due to the amount Libtards residing within the city’s boundaries BUT it CAN’T hurt. Assembling a number of like-minded pro-2nd Amendment individuals and marching around outside with signs notifying passersby that not only are you “armed” AND “concealed carrying” but also being “discriminated” against may be enough to affect their business (“scare” tactics work) and garner local media attention (call the stations/outlets first). Just think about how many will forego their meal because of your presence and because it makes them “feel” unsafe (it WILL be a a significant number after all they ARE “snowflakes”)..

    I would opt for a different route ie. entering, approaching the counter and loudly inquiring as to whether any of their employees are harboring “communicable” diseases like HIV/AIDS/Hep C/TB etc. and asking how often they are tested, their refusal and/or unwillingness to answer will be all that’s needed to make other customers think twice about just who is handling their food and negatively affect their bottom line (remember where businesses are concerned it IS all about the money).

    • That’s a perfect scenario. A bunch of middle-aged burnouts with bulging bellies and no taste in clothing prancing around with signs describing how butthurt they are.

      I’d come by to video that and upload it to you tube.

  34. You’re obviously a regular there. I wonder if you were outed in the past at some point enough to determine you a suspect of carrying by the owner. But that’s what you get for eating at a place with such a fruity name in Texas.

  35. Guy No. 1…Concealed means concealed.

    Also Guy No. 1…Carries a G17 in a Fobus holster in a button down shirt 3 sizes too big for him and thinks he fools anybody.

  36. By the way that is poke salad, and was called that because when you picked it you just put it in a poke (sack, bag). My mom use to make the stuff – she told me that you have to boil it three times unless you needed a laxative.

  37. So the short version is RF lacked the integrity of his convictions and went to an anti-gun shop after claiming he wouldn’t be back.

  38. You were a dumb ass and a sell out to be returning to the place knowing their anti gun stance. Get yourself a back bone and stand for something.

  39. You should be severely punished ……….by not being allowed to eat there since you like it.
    You should be flogged ………. with a wiffle ball bat.
    You should be put down……… by mocking your fashion sense and haircut.

  40. Farago pulled two dumb@$$ stunts simultaneously, one when Mr Gun Blog hypocritically decided to patronize an anti-gun business and another by blowing off the 30.06 sign posted by some squirrely Austinite gun hating liberal business owner. Just imagine the satisfaction the complainant derived from having APD respond and catch Farago’s dumb@$$ red handed.

    Anyone else note the irony of the two APD Officers cutting a break to such a notorious cop hating, cannabis loving dumb@$$ like Robert Farago?

  41. Robert needs to go back and eat there every day wearing a Trump t shirt and a MAGA cap. While also wearing an empty holster open carry. Wear boots with spurs and put your feet up.

    • If APD didn’t issue Farago a criminal trespass notice for the dumb@$$ stunt of carrying a poorly concealed 1911 under a t-shirt in defiance of 30.06 & 30.07 signs prominately posted at the entrance by the anti-gun liberal Austinite business owner, he’ll definitely get a criminal trespass notice if he returns to make a bigger @$$ of himself, if that’s possible.

        • You don’t know wtf you’re talking about jr, study up before popping off, the liberal gun hating business owner had a 30.06 sign posted prohibiting concealed carry and a 30.07 sign posted prohibiting open carry, so Farago definitely defied Texas law on the first and maybe the second as well.

  42. Not that I give a shit that you printed, infact I wonder why you weren’t open carrying, but, You got what you deserved. Next time maybe you’ll learn before frequenting and supporting the enemy establishments that support the rape of the constitution, our disarmament, and mass murder. The POS that owns this store probably donated some of YOUR money to Hillary. How does that make you feel? It should make you feel bad.

  43. All I’ll say is keep the gun concealed better next time. It’s your money, do what you want with it.

    Part of this sounded like an attempt to whoo a potential lady friend, so you gotta do what you gotta do.

    …and here come the “I don’t screw chicks who don’t support my gun rights blah blah blah etc etc etc” guys to talk smack.

  44. When people promote economic freedom, they do not intend the resulting prosperity to serve as a magnet for people from communities ruined by leftist thought. Many of those who arrive here for a better life are also responsible for f*cking up the places they came from.

    Cafe owners, if you cannot adopt the philosophy and way of life that makes Texas an attractive and prosperous place to live, then please go the hell back to the liberal community you came from. If you are a native-Texan-yet-leftist, put your money where your mouth is and move to a place that fully embraces the way you think the world should operate. The prosperity and opportunity will only last until enough of your kind show up to ruin it.

  45. Robert. Dear boy, please. You were “well dressed”? Wearing a T-shirt? “Well dressed”, at least to this septuagenarian, means wearing a sport coat at a minimum. And unless you’re wearing a .500 S&W under it, printing should not be a problem.

  46. “Call me a hypocrite…”
    You, Robert Farago, are a hypocrite. A pretender, a poser, a man devoid of principles who claims to be a 2A absolutist but in reality is just a blogger using the facade of gun rights advocacy as a way to generate traffic.

    You ought to be ashamed of yourself.

  47. My event happened 5 years ago at an Outback Steak House in North Ormand Beach Florida when a Blackhawk brand nylon OWB holster failed and dropped my encased pistol to the floor as I was walking to be seated. I heard the clunk, took 2 steps and then realized my pistol was on the floor. I circled around and swooped down grabbing it as I rushed to the table. Looking around It appeared no one had seen or heard the pistol drop. I was wrong. Now seated with the weapon in my lap and red faced I looked down at the holster seeing the metal belt clip missing and the nylon loop that holds the clip in place flared out where the metal belt clip ledge rides against. The metal belt clip was still attached to my belt. The holster fell thru the metal belt clip because of frayed nylon and insufficiently formed metal clip where the holster rides on.
    About that time the manager came to the table and asked if I had a gun, whereupon I explained the malfunction and that the gun was safely secured and offered to show her my CWP while expecting to see 2 Sheriff Deputies next. She accepted my answer and declined to see my carry permit. And that was it. Needless to say I had no appetite after that. As for the holster failure I wrote to Blackhawk providing sketches of the failure and suggesting an easy fix. Blackhawk never replied. The lesson here is to check your equipment every time you use it. I threw the holster away and now use only quality IWB leather-kydex holsters for EDC.

  48. enh. guilty pleasures. it’s easy to be conflicted when you’re trying to be principled.
    if robert had already expressed his displeasure with their signage, then he was made instantly upon his return. big deal, the world is full of these whiners. what matters in regards to his “slip” is whether or not it was a productive exercise as far as the companion is concerned.
    i embrace my hatred of all things french. and they hate me from what i gather. and i am led to believe that frogs may be virulently anti- semitic. but not necessarily the shop owners. still, french stuff always smacks of pretensiousness.
    now, what to do about whole foods, eh?

  49. I’m sorry, but you willingly chose to go to a restaurant where they have posted signs that they hate you. It doesn’t sound like a franchise or chain where the signs are because of corporate HQ mandate and the onsite people might not enforce them. As a gun owner, you disgust them. Would you patronize a place called the “Third Reich Bakery” because they had amazing strüdel, or would you avoid the obvious idiots? When you chose to feed the tiger, sometimes it takes your hand.

  50. What sight is recommended to learn about proper concealed carry? I do so want to be a badass and carry yet I can’t give up my avant garde image. Oh and I don’t do pocket guns. I like guns that are big and print “just a little”.

  51. Good for the cafe. As private property owners, they’re free to enjoy and extend the benefits of their property to whomever they choose. If that means excluding mild mannered, lightly armed, albeit it baguette-loving mofos, then so freakin’ be it, no matter how moronic that is.

    Persona non grata at the neighborhood pussified pâtisserie? Oh well. C’est la vie.

    What’s disappointing here is that a lying, law breaking, property rights violator wasn’t duly punished under the law and ticketed. Just another day in “I’ll do whatever I feel like” America, where we make new laws promiscuously and enforce them selectively. Private property owners be damned in the process.

  52. To everyone posting reviews on Yelp based soley on this article: those will probably get pulled. I’ve seen it happen.

    Also; it won’t have much effect on the locals. Had a discussion with my friend recently about Whole Foods and their 3006/3007 signs. Told him I won’t shop there because of that. He said it made him more inclined to shop there. I reminded him that someone looking to do bad things won’t care about those signs and good luck defending his family with a package of gluten free, non-gmo, organic noodles.

  53. Patronizing an anti gun chi chi left wing joint that advertises their hatred of the Bill of Rights on the freakin door and surprised you got called for it? LOL at least there are plenty of other leftist owned gun hating commie d bag chow shops in liberal bung hole Austin to visit with your chrome plated sissy pistol.

  54. i think i know what was going on in RF’s subconsious… he wanted to bring his girl to a lovely romantic spot with delicious food (sorry, but there’s no conservative joints in Austin that possess the esoteric vibe that can secure you a young hottie here) and also wanted in his wise and begrudgingly old state to protect her at all costs. it’s not really something you need to overanalyze or be so hard on him for. in fact, it’s sexy. let’s celebrate his manhood and doing what he wants. the fact that he’s willing to go out of his comfort zone is healthy. it perfectly captures the American spirit and makes for a great story anyways. especially with his writing.. i’m a fan 🙂

  55. So you break the law , and are being a dick to the establishment?

    real classy, the kind of person that actually causes us to lose the right

  56. Did they post a sign forbidding Muslim terrorists, gang bangers, and people previously convicted of armed robbery? Of course not, its a place run by a Libtard. One can not reason logically with a Libtard, you have to boycott them, just like Springfield Armory, Target stores, etc.

    • The ‘law,’ as it were, itself does not follow the law, which is the U.S. Constitution. All this nonsense about printing, open carry, signage.. all of it misses that key point.

      • The point is that our right to carry doesn’t always trump a businesses right to refuse us service. This bakery wasn’t making an anti-gun statement in general, they just didn’t want them in their business. THEIR BUSINESS. Your rights don’t trump their rights. How’s that a difficult concept?

        I keep mine locked in the car when I’m somewhere it’s not welcome, that’s my decision. I don’t break the law, whether I disagree with it or not, just to make a statement and instigate conflict. If he wanted to make a “bold statement”, why not carry onto a plane? Into a school? That’d be a bold statement.

        Now that this story is getting wider press, you’re going to see it’s giving us ALL a bad name and doing the cause of defending 2A way more harm and absolutely no good. You’re going to try to put a bakery, who’s owners were exercising THEIR rights out of business or do them harm because somehow it’s in defense of the 2nd Amendment? Bullshit. You’re all of bunch of petty bullies.

  57. Come on, man. Are you being completely honest and truthful here? Not leaving anything out? I’m progun and a proud gun owner myself but don’t go so low as to tarnish a good local business because you decided to be an irresponsible gun owner and make poor decisions than you come here crying the victim.

    From source: https://www.reddit.com/r/Austin/comments/70vmtb/baguette_et_chocolat_getting_attacked_online_for/

    Text:

    VERY IMPORTANT NOTICE PLEASE READ
    Dear patrons,
    Due to a recent gun incident with one fellow at our store, we’re extremely sad and shocked to announce you that we will shut down our Facebook page in the next days.
    This fellow, who is a pro gun, wrote an article on Saturday 16th of September, on a pro gun social network, relating his version about what happened in our store.
    Here is our version :
    This fellow was upset, a year and a half ago, when we put on the doors the LAW sign prohibiting carrying gun in our establishment. He talked to my wife and said that if we didn’t put those signs down, he would not come back. We didn’t take those signs out.
    Recently, he chose to come back. We saw his gun underneath is t shirt. My employees and myself didn’t know what to do so, we decided to call 311. We were trying to know what can we tell this fellow, who knows that we don’t legally allow guns in our bakery, but still comes inside with his gun. 311 decided to send police officers. We were not aware of it until the police officers showed up.
    Those police officers dealt with him telling him that regarding the LAW, we don’t allow guns in our store. He pretended he didn’t see the signs on the door. Apparently, he just had a warning and left the store.
    On Saturday 16th of September, we started receiving a couple of 1 star review without comment. I started to see with my employees to know if something went wrong that day because we’re not used to bad review much. If we can fix a mistake, we will.
    Later this day we received much more 1 star reviews, some with comments regarding guns and insulting emails. Everything went clear. This article was spreading.
    All Baguette et Chocolate’s team is shocked and very sad. Like April, my head baker who has been working very hard with us for more than 6 years and told us “you don’t deserve this !”. We’ve been building very hard this true Authentic French family business for almost 8 years now.
    In just a couple of days, those people who most of them never came to our store, try, as they say, to destroy our business. Telling us that as “migrant” we have to go back to our country. That we don’t have our place here in the USA or in Texas. That we don’t respect people. That we treat them like criminals (but we just talk about the gun not the person who carry it). That they expect us to be robbed at our house or at our business. And much worse even threats…….
    Yes, we’re migrant Alien who left our country for America to live our dream of sharing our passion for French food. We wanted to live our American dream. We’re known for respecting our savoir faire, authenticity and quality. Yes, our down side is the customer service sometimes, we know it and we do our best to fix it but we’re just a tiny bakery NOT a formal restaurant, very popular with only 30 people allowance (employees included) so it’s hard sometimes to handle everything. Our team does his best and works hard to satisfy your needs.
    We’re working very hard to make it right, to make our patrons happy to stop by and have a piece of France right around the corner, trying to make you having a good time.
    Yes, we put those LAW signs on the doors. Yes, we don’t want guns inside the bakery as we’re small place and can be packed with children around as they have their own spot. We WELCOME EVERYONE and always do, but just unarmed. Our concern is NOT the person but the gun.
    I thought we had the freedom in our own building, like HEB or WHOLE FOOD, to legally do what we think is best. Apparently not.
    Our time is precious, we don’t have much time to spend on the social network as we focus on our job to satisfy our patrons who really believe in what we’re here for. We can not deal with those fellows. We let them express their anger on the other reviews network.
    Our Facebook page was supposed to be our own….not anymore. The rating we’ve been working on has been declining drastically by those bad reviews and it will keep going.
    We don’t have any hands on it. Facebook can not help us.
    WE WANT TO THANK VERY TRULY FROM THE DEEP OF OUR HEART ALL THE LIKERS, LOVERS WHO HAS BEEN FOLLOWING OUR BUSINESS FOR ALMOST 8 YEARS NOW ON FACEBOOK.
    WE ARE VERY SORRY ABOUT IT AND ASK YOU TO EXCUSE US FOR ALL THE INCONVENIENCE IT MAY OCCUR.
    WE ARE AND WE WILL BE STILL DOING OUR JOB WE’RE KNOWN FOR TO SATISFY OUR PATRONS.
    THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING.
    THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORT.
    MERCI !
    Anne-lise & Chi minh PHAM DINH
    Baguette et Chocolat’s owners

    • What a surprise. “Helpful” gun enthusiasts show their eagerness to win the battle but lose the war. Wonder how long before the pro-restriction media pick up on this story of hapless business owners persecuted by “gun bullies”. Anyone who left a negative review played right into the hands of those pushing the narrative that gun owners are irresponsible, vindictive people.

    • Should customers have their constitutional right to defend themselves violated just because a store owner feels uncomfortable around guns? Or the store owner confuses law-abiding armed citizens with robbers and thieves? I have no sympathy for business owners who blithely trample upon our Second Amendment rights.

      Robbers love ‘gun-free’ zones.. like a sign telling wolves “get your sheep here!”

      • So, if I invite you into my home and ask you to leave your firearm in your car, I’m violating your rights? I don’t have the right to say what goes on in my home or business?

        Freedom isn’t yours exclusively, it applies to all of us. This business has the right to say they don’t want firearms in their store. I do business with numerous establishments that don’t allow firearms. Picking a fight with a small business with this policy is cowardly, transparent and shameful.

        Again, I carry a pistol weighing maybe 16oz loaded and I’ve never FORGOTTEN I’m carrying it. It is my responsibility to know the laws and wishes of business I frequent. Didn’t they teach you that before you got your carry permit?

    • *cue world’s smallest violin*

      I’m sure the truth is somewhere in between the two stories. That said, people are aloud to speak with their money & they are making their voices heard. Good for them!

  58. Wisconsin has a similar sign law.. and we once had these idiotic signs up all over the place. Then CCW advocates created an online do-not-shop list of anti-gun offenders. The signs magically disappeared in a few weeks.

    Boycotts are more powerful than votes. A drop in sales of only a few percent is enough to kill a business.

  59. Your biggest failure, RF, wasn’t printing or forgetting you had your gun on. It was not sticking to your guns when you told them they lost your business. Boycotting something doesn’t mean shit if you cave.

  60. I am a frequent patron of this establishment. They have the best bread this side of Paris. I carry concealed, but I respect their wishes and do not carry there. They have every right to ask patrons to not carry, and their 30.06 and 30.07 signs could not possibly be more prominently displayed. Farago was a *repeat offender*. They didn’t call the cops – they called the City’s general information line to see what they could tell Farago, who was admittedly breaking the rules. The City sent cops – the owners didn’t ask for cops to come.

    The owners are *excellent people*. I have spoken with both of them on numerous occasions. They left their native France to come to the United States because they wanted to start a business. One of the owners gave up a good professional career to now work in the back washing dishes and making food. **They wanted to live the American Dream.** They are *exactly* the kind of people who we want to come here and make our country stronger. Anyone who took the position this was a case of ‘foreigners need to go home’ is an asshole straight up.

    They just announced they are taking down their Facebook page because of the deluge of nasty and improper comments, and they are getting bullshit one-star reviews based on this political matter.

    I will make it a point to patronize them as much as I can now. What has happened to them at the hands of the readers of this blog is deeply unfair and anyone who participated in the effort to destroy this business and this family should be ashamed of him- or herself.

  61. Robert,
    The cops would not have shot you, a firearm discharge in Austin by a cop means firing, regardless of circumstances.

    I’m reminded of something I read recently (okay, 50 years ago):

    Does this need to be said?
    Does it need to be said now?
    Does it need to be said now by me?

    Robert, you may have learned something. Many people do not like guns, like they do not like war. It’s okay to not like them.
    You were wrong to post and should have stfu and moved on. If you’re going to post like that, give it a weekend to think about it.

  62. Or… here’s a thought. Many, many businesses have those signs up. Why are you all not in a riot over them? If you don’t like it, eat somewhere else instead of getting a whole bunch of people who will never eat there anyway to leave nasty comments about them being immigrants and one star reviews. Don’t go in there anyway and pretend you didn’t see the sign. Try reading the owners’ account of what happened.

  63. Come on people… I can’t believe you are targeting this poor shop for upholding their legal rights.
    You knew the rules, you had already broken them, and now you are threatening them with more than your guns?

    Go cool off before aiming a movement a a small shop. Go have a beer, think about all the places you can go with your gun instead of targeting the places you can’t. Leave the pistol in the car and if you need it, its only yards away.

    What a waste of everyone’s time for such a petty act of self indulgence on one persons part.

    You should be ashamed of yourself for doing this to them.

  64. So you knowingly break the law and then write this long drawn out blog post about how they are wrong?
    You knew the signs were placed, You knew they were 30.06/30.07 , you carried past anyways… That was your choice.
    And now your followers are disrupting a business with bad reviews because YOU broke the law..
    It is their right by law to post those signs and even if they didnt have the signs, all they are required to do a manger/owner is ask you verbally to leave. If you fail to leave, criminal trespassing charges can be files against you.

    I am a LTC holder, if I see the 30.06 , I just dont shop there anymore. I dont shame the business, nor post a crybaby post on how they told me to leave. Its easy, I just turn around and walk away. Them not getting my money is enough.

  65. So you knowingly break the law and then write this long drawn out blog post about how they are wrong?
    You knew the signs were placed, You knew they were 30.06/30.07 , you carried past anyways… That was your choice.
    And now your followers are disrupting a business with bad reviews because YOU broke the law..
    It is their right by law to post those signs and even if they didnt have the signs, all they are required to do a manger/owner is ask you verbally to leave. If you fail to leave, criminal trespassing charges can be files against you.

    I am a LTC holder, if I see the 30.06 , I just dont shop there anymore. I dont shame the business, nor post a crybaby post on how they told me to leave. Its easy, I just turn around and walk away. Them not getting my money is enough.

  66. You *forgot* you were carrying over 2 lbs of pistol? Seriously? I don’t believe you. You don’t believe they should’ve “called the police on you” (which, they’ve said they did not, they sought advice by dialing 311 because they didn’t want to confront someone they’d previous told they didn’t want carrying in their establishment). I strongly suspect you instigated the incident so you’d have something to write about.

    If someone doesn’t want you carrying in their home, do you ignore them as well? Lot of chatter these days about the rule of law these days so it seems a little funny that folks who should be supporting it are actively violating it.

    I never *forget* I’m armed. The very idea is ludicrous. I’d say you shouldn’t carry if you “forget”, you’re not mentally up to the task. I carry a 14.5 oz revolver (we dress light here in Florida) and I’ve never “forgotten” it was on my body, not once.

    The truth about guns is that you’re giving all concealed carriers and 2A rights activists a bad name. How about taking some responsibility and removing the post with the bakery’s phone number so your “supporters” can quit harassing them? As firearms owners, carriers of weapons in the public, we have an added responsibility that you seem to be taking quite lightly.

  67. Their no gun policy has done one thing for certain. It has made them an easy target for the criminal looking for an easy payday. The criminal will ignore his no gun sign. With them getting this much publicity. I would not doubt to see them in the news again. Next time as a robery victim.

    • It’s their *choice* though, yes, to disallow firearms? I enjoy my freedom, I carry, I’m happy to live in a country where this is an option. But it’s an *option*, not a requirement. We either support freedom or we do not.

  68. You are a pretentious jerk. You feel that laws and rules apply to everyone except you. Glad you are no longer eating there. I no longer have to worry about running into you after I stash my colt in the car and drop in for a delicious croissant and cafe.

  69. This article is a disgrace. Is it annoying when a business posts a 30.06 sign or 30.07 sign? Of course it is, but it’s their business, their choice to make. Period. Can we come up with a bazillion examples of where leftists have finagled the law so that conservative business owners cannot exercise similar control over their own affairs? Of course. But that completely misses the point. We’re not supposed to sink to their level.

  70. The owners had complied with the law to the letter, posting those big ugly signs that take up more than a third of their door. You had seen and read the signs and knew you weren’t allowed to carry in the establishment concealed or no. You had already told the owner that you and your staff wouldn’t patronize the business because you knew their position, but you couldn’t stick to that principle, so go get your sandwich on. You broke the law and carried your weapon into the place and when approached by law enforcement, you played dumb. You *lied to the officer* about not knowing which sign was on the door (you did). And now, your readers are attacking this establishment through social media, yelp, and deliberately trying to hurt a business that did everything they were supposed to do.

    You want to be a law abiding sheepdog, obey the law. That’s not you this time. You’re the law breaker this time. Sort it out and call your dogs off the place. Take down this article and issue a full retraction of your complaint. And if you want to be a man of your word, when you say you won’t patronize a place to make a point, stick to it.

    • As a responsible gun owner, I 100% agree with this statement. This sad episode and its related article are a black eye for our cause.

  71. Why make it harder for all of us? Every time I try to have a rational conversation about my second amendment rights, so jagoff like you makes the news for all the wrong reasons. I am trying to argue that gun owners are responsible people who just want to protect themselves but they can point to you. Oh look, here’s a gun owner that couldn’t be away from his gun long enough to buy bread. So he lies to a cop, runs home and throws a big ole hissy fit online, and sends his friends to harass the business. How does this help anyone? Don’t like their rules? Don’t go there. Simple.

  72. He knew what he was doing. Robert Farago had complained a year before when he asked the bakery to take their signs down but they refused.

  73. If you really feel the need to carry concealed weapon while frequenting such establishments I suggest you stick that firearm right up your ass.

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