Lawmaker calls for boycott of Boise restaurant

BOISE, Idaho (CBS 2) — Rep. Chad Christensen and several members of the group The Three Percenters were open-carrying their handguns when they ordered lunch at the restaurant Bacon in Downown Boise last week.

After a little while, the Republican from Ammon says they were approached by the owner.

"Just coming at us with this negative attitude, 'hey you're scaring my customers, you're scaring my staff'," Christensen said. "I said it's your right as a business owner to not allow us to be here, but we purchased food, you could have told us beforehand. And he said to one of the guys who was wearing a shoulder holster, 'that's over the top'. Belligerent, kind of demeaned him."

And Christensen says the owner closed the curtains on the area where he and his group were seated.

"Kind of an aggressive manner, 'I'm gonna close this'," Christensen said. "Then that was about it."

Except Christensen posted his version of events on his personal Facebook page, writing in part "Bacon restaurant is NOT gun friendly...I won't be stepping foot in that place again. Pass this around patriots... I am going to use my reach to let as many people as I can know about this..."

So it is essentially a state lawmaker calling for a boycott of a local restaurant.

"Yeah, essentially," Christen said. "Yeah, I did want to say that to gun owners."

And the post spread on social media.

CBS 2 talked with Bacon owner John Berryhill who said he was unavailable to speak on camera. But Berryhill confirmed the incident happened and says Christensen never spoke during the encounter. Berryhill says he was not rude and calls Christensen's story a "smear" campaign.

Berryhill released a statement that stated in part: "his account is not even close to accurate...btw, I am not against guns, concealed guns, or even open carry w/the exception of being in populated areas like cities w/restaurants, bars, libraries, parks etc. where families w/children are, and where a mass of diversity breathes openly."

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