Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., officially closed the doors to her restaurant Shooters, one of the only places in the U.S. where servers can tote guns on their hips while serving eggs benedict.
In June, Boebert was told by new landlord, Milken Enterprises, that her lease wasn’t going to be renewed, the Post Independent in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, reported. Shooters opened in the city of Rifle in May 2013, and closed on Sunday.
Aside from its niche brand, Shooters was also known for its link to a 2017 diarrhea outbreak, according to Garfield County Public Health Department.
Boebert told the Post Independent that her idea to open the restaurant came after ministering to female inmates at Garfield County Jail in Glenwood Springs. Shooters eventually went on to serve an average of 100 tables a day and employed over 75 people since opening, some of whom were formerly incarcerated, she claimed.
Shooters opens: Menu comes with armed waitresses
Boebert said the gun-theme came after a man died in front of Shooters, prompting employees to ask if they could open carry, she said. Boebert said the person who died was beaten to death, but it was later reported that the man actually died of a drug overdose, per the Post Independent.
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Servers were able to choose what guns they carry, although most carry semi-automatics, Boebert said.
“We were like a family,” she told the paper. “I would say Shooters, for any employee, was their life. We lived and breathed it every single day. They were a part of this culture and brand that we created in Rifle, and there was a lot of pride with that.”
Boebert indicated that she and her husband Jayson are “praying and planning” to continue Shooters’ brand, culture and presence in Rifle while “dramatically” scaling back.
Boebert has stoked controversy in recent months for heckling Joe Biden during a State of the Union, urging her colleagues to vote no on the Equality Act in an anti-trans floor speech, embracing QAnon conspiracy theories and directing Islamophobic comments toward Rep. Ilhan Omar during a campaign.
Camille Fine is a trending visual producer on USA TODAY’s NOW team.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Republican Lauren Boebert’s gun-themed restaurant Shooters closes
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