Shooters Grill: A Gun Themed Restaurant In Colorado

[JANASENA]

Americans love two things: fast food and guns, and you will find both at Shooters Grill, a gun themed restaurant in the U.S. state of Colorado, in a town called – unsurprisingly - Rifle. At Shooters Grill, customers are welcome and encouraged to openly carry firearms. A sign on the front door reads, “Guns are welcome on premises. Please keep all weapons holstered, unless the need arises. In such cases, judicious marksmanship is appreciated.”

The decor inside the restaurant remains true to the theme, while items on the menu include names such as “M16 burrito”, “Swiss and Wesson grilled cheese”, “Bull's Eye Grilled Chicken” and "Locked and Loaded nachos”. But it’s the waitresses shuffling plates of food around that are worth watching. Each of them carries a fully loaded sidearm.

In Colorado it is legal to openly carry handguns, so when Lauren Boebert and her husband decided to open a restaurant, going with a “gun theme” seemed natural. Initially, the staff didn’t carry guns, but only a month after launching the eatery, a man was killed outside the venue, which prompted her to take a gun to work. Through the months, her other waitresses thought it was kind of fun to carry guns and they too started packing heat. Today, all of the nine waitresses carry weapons ranging from Glock semi-automatics to thigh-length Rueger Blackhawk .357 six-shooter.

Lauren Boebert, a mother of four, said she is simply allowing customers and employees to exercise their constitutional right to bear arms. “We encourage it, and the customers love that they can come here and express their rights,” Boebert said. “This country was founded on our freedom. People can come in carrying their gun, and they can pray over their food.”

Boebert says she didn't want to a statement. "There's no point to be made. This is our way of life."

"We don't worship guns. We worship Jesus," added Boebert, "We're here to serve people."

The restaurant draws curious customers from all over the U.S., and is so popular that sometimes they sell out of food. Some customers even leave bullets as tips.

Antonia Booth, Lauren Boebert and Erin Schmalz pose with a semi-automatic rifles, the AR-15, during a target practice session

Replica copies of the United States Constitution and Declaration of Independence are displayed along with plaques and trophies for award-winning food at Shooters