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Waffle House has found their griddles white hot with public outrage as news has spread of a uniformed service member being denied service at a Kentucky Waffle House.  Yes, one of their stores was unbending of their “NO GUNS” corporate policy, even for a uniformed Armed Services member.

Yep, that’s right.

Restaurant Refuses Service To Soldier For Carrying Firearm

Nicholasville, KY (Lex18 – caution video autoplays) – Over the weekend, a soldier with the National Guard was told to leave his gun outside of the Nicholasville Waffle House or he wouldn’t be served. The situation is now getting national attention.

Billy Welch said that he stopped at the Waffle House Sunday morning for breakfast. He was in his Army National Guard uniform and had his gun holstered to his side. After ordering his food, Welch said that a waitress signaled for him to come over.

“I got up and I walked over to them, asked them how they were doing and stuff, and they said I’d have to take my firearm outside,” said Welch. “I don’t feel comfortable taking my firearm away from me. I always keep it with me and they said, ‘it’s one of our policies.’”

Welch said that he didn’t think too much of it, just told the waitress that he could not leave his firearm outside.

“You know, if I can’t have my firearm, then I can’t be here,” said Welch. “I walked inside to the other waitress. I said, ‘thank you, but no thank you ma’am. I’m gonna have to leave.'”

The owner of the Waffle House is sticking to his “NO GUNS” policy, unabashedly: “For many years we have had a “No Firearms” police in place in our restaurants. We continue to believe this is the best policy for the safety of our customers and associates.”

This is an easy enough way to support our troops:  DON’T PATRONIZE WAFFLE HOUSE.

Welch started hearing from people and organizations all over the country after one witness took the details of the situation to Facebook.”I have a bunch of family members and friends who have been active military and in the military and retired and it hurts my feelings when people disrespect them,” said Micaela Shaw, who was sitting in a booth nearby. “I just wanted to stand up for him.”

Her posts quickly went viral.

The owner of the Nicholasville Waffle House made this statement, “For many years we have had a “No Firearms” police in place in our restaurants. We continue to believe this is the best policy for the safety of our customers and associates.”

9 thoughts on “EPIC P.R. FAIL: Waffle House Refuses Service To Soldier For Carrying Firearm”
  1. I guess then that will continue to lose money once more people read this and avoid them like the plague. Pretty sure we are not going to see this on any of the news show. Hopefully this will get shared a million times over.

    Billy Welch, if you are ever in Illinois, we will buy you breakfast!

  2. If waffle house had a “NO DRUNKS” policy, they would have closed their doors years ago.

    That soldiers gun is issued to him, he is qualified, and responsible for it. Do the police have to leave their guns outside too? The safest place for that gun in the situation was on the soldier himself!! They assume that the gangsters leave their guns outside too?

  3. Every time iam in an area where there’s a Waffle House. I stop on the way home and get a pecan waffle. And sausage. Darn it. I guess I’ll just have to remember how good that WAS. And I don’t remember seeing. A no guns sigh

  4. Don’t get all excited, guys; remember, there’re always at LEAST two sides to every story.

    LEX18 has INTENTIONALLY misled you on this story.

    This “soldier” was ejected from this same Waffle House no longer than two weeks before THIS incident, escorted out forcefully by law enforcement … for fighting. IT’s a wonder he did NOT go to jail. I suspect we will learn why not shortly.

    There is a question whether, while off-base, his carrying this gun was even lawful. I don’t know.

    Was there a legitimate REASON for him to be carrying? I don’t know.

    Or did he go back to the restaurant at 3 a.m. hoping to encounter the same fellows he was earlier thrown out for fighting?

    The management has already been heard from. You need to read that letter. It is precise, HONEST, cogent and makes more sense than your kneejerk reactions.

    You gotta stop acting just like the media, fellas. If you come running every time they dog-whistle, then you’re no better than they are.

    1. Do you have any sources for your statements? If so, post them.

      Either way, it doesn’t matter. You claim that this guy was thrown out for fighting. If that is true then I would not have any issue with the restaurant banning him individually for that. But they aren’t using that as the reason. Instead they are blaming the gun. In fact they were willing to serve him if he disarmed meaning he was welcome despite any alleged previous altercation.

      So yes, unless you have other sources relating to this alleged previous incident, it looks to me that Waffle House has a dumb policy. There are other stories posted here about uniformed police officers being asked to leave. This seems to be a trend.

  5. Way to go Waffle House. Nothing like taking a giant piss into your waffle batter.

    Frankly, the last WH my wife and I visited was a trip I’ll never forget. Late at night, in Nashville, a year or so ago on a funeral trip.

    Prostitutes and pimps everywhere. It was like the official hangout for hookers. Coming off duty from the shady hotel a half-block down the street, I suppose.

    As usual, the food was unmemorable. The outfits I saw that night though… Now, those were memorable, both good and bad.

    I was never so glad to be carrying a gun. The wife said the same as we got in the car to leave. “Thanks for making me put my gun in my purse before we left,” she said.

    Sam

  6. I have always liked eating at a WH while traveling. I like my food with no surprises.

    As of now I am letting their corporate my family will no longer be visiting them. As I travel frequently for my work this will cost them a few bucks a week. I usually hit a WH 2-3 times a week. NO more, just like we have taken Arby’s off the stop list for paying the hobag who refused to serve a uniformed police officer.

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