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A Louisiana fried chicken joint has joined a trend of restaurants across the country offering free food or discounts to customers who agree to bring their guns to dinner - but is it turning off other patrons?

Randal Neel, the owner of Chicken Express in Bossier City, told KLVT that he was making a statement in support of gun rights as the Louisiana Legislature considers more than a dozen new gun laws, including efforts to make firearms easier and cheaper to sell.

"You don't get a chance often to be heard," Neel explained. "We've had probably our busiest Saturday we've ever had."

While most of the 21 bills in the Louisiana Legislature that deal with firearms are pro-gun, a recent poll found that 85 percent of Louisianans support expanded background checks in the wake of the December mass shooting in Newton, Connecticut.

In recent months, restaurant owners across the country have offered special deals for gun owners. In February alone, a Frozen Yogurt shop in Utah and four businesses in Virginia all offered discounts to customers who brought in their weapons or concealed carry permits.

Last week, Langtry Café in Brownsdale, Minnesota announced that it was offering up to 25 percent off to customers who visibly displayed a firearm while in the dining room.

"I haven't seen anybody walk out, but I'm sure there's a possibility that they may be offended," Langtry Café owner Steve Nagel told KAAL.

Watch this video from KLTV, broadcast April 15, 2013, below: