Some Lubbock restaurants prepared to ban open carry

LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) - Local restaurants are preparing for the open carry law that will take effect in two weeks.

It is currently illegal to carry openly, but all that will change on January first.

The law leaves it up to businesses to decide if they want to allow guns on their premises.

The Owners of Orlando's say they have already ordered the signs banning openly carried weapons from their restaurants. We asked customers if they thought it would negatively affect business.

Eldon Fuqua, a former sheriff's deputy and Lubbock police officer, says it will not affect Orlando's business.

"I probably would never open carry because I've done it for so long and just don't really care to anymore," he said.

Orlando's is a gun-friendly restaurant. Loyd Turner is the President there and he owns guns.

He's even getting his CHL soon, but he's banning open-carry because of the risks, one of which is retention of the gun.

"The law doesn't address keeping the gun in the holster, so as one of my friends has said, you could have it in a big gulp cup on your hip and you bend over and it falls out on the floor, possibly discharging if it's not a modern firearm," he said, "Or some other patron could have grabbed the gun and taken off."

Fuqua says some of his friends are in favor of open carry because it removes the risk if a handgun becomes accidently exposed in public.

"If the wind blows and your jacket flies open and there's a big ole pistol hanging on your hip and somebody goes, 'Oh my God,' if you have the open carry as well as the concealed carry, you're totally covered."

He says he chooses not to carry open or concealed most of the time.

"When you carry, it's your responsibility to keep up with that thing and make sure it doesn't get into the wrong hands, so if you're doing other things, it's in the way, bottom line. If I were expecting trouble and going someplace that I might need to protect others, yes."

A couple other restaurants that allow concealed but not open carry include Chilli's and Whataburger.

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