fickman wrote:There's no way to stop everybody. Try the phrase, "It doesn't help to scare the sheep!"
I tried to call a theater (concert venue) years ago to find out if they were 51% thinking that most bartenders would be familiar with the phrase. He wasn't and every roundabout way I tried to get the answer from him didn't work. I don't think he was being coy. . . it just wasn't on his radar at all.
I called to check on their status for a concert I was planning to go to that night:
Me: Are ya'll a 51% establishment?
BT: What?
Me: Does more than 51% of your revenue come from alcohol? You should have a sign from TABC posted if so.
BT: What? We sell a lot of drinks. People come out, they have fun. We sell good food and cold drinks.
Me: But is it more than half the business?
BT: I don't know. We sell drinks. People enjoy themselves. It's fun. Good music. Good food. Cold drinks. What do you need?
Me: Is there a manager around who might know?
BT: No. What does it matter?
Me (trying to think outside the box. . . back then, Dallas' smoking law said "no smoking" in restaurants, but you still could in bars): Can people smoke there?
BT: Nope. We're non-smoking.
Me (realizing that just because they're non-smoking doesn't mean they're not 51%, they could have just decided to be non-smoking): Is there a manager who would know about the 51% sign?
BT: Look, buddy, what's going on? Why would it matter?
Me: There's a few ways it could matter to somebody.
BT: Like what?
Me (grasping for straws, not wanting to say the "G" word): Somebody could be on probation and prohibited from going to bars, which might use 51% establishments as the rule.
BT: Are you on probation?
Me: No. I'm just trying to figure out. . .
BT: What would it matter? When is it used?
Me (flustered): Well, for instance, if somebody had a CHL, they can't carry into a 51% establishment.
BT: What's a CHL?
Me: Concealed handgun license
BT: ARE YOU BRINGING A GUN TO THE SHOW TONIGHT?!
Me (kicking myself, and trying to avoid oral notice, even though I'm still anonymous): No. . . I'm asking for a buddy who had a DWI a few years ago and we thought about coming to next weekend's concert.
BT: Oh. I don't know. You'll have to call this week and ask for the owner.
Me (tail tucked between legs): OK. I'll do that. See ya'll next weekend.
I had visions of the gun topic being brought up at their next staff meeting. As careful as I thought I could be, I put it on their radar. They weren't 51% back then but have become so now (they have two windows that serve alcohol - and I'd be surprised if it outsold their food + ticket prices. The bar stands probably have their own business designation, but the way they filled out the paperwork, the whole building became 51%).
Whoops. That was my last time to even try to creatively decipher an establishment's status on the phone. What a train wreck.
