A brand new gun club being built in Gilbert has a lot of people in the community asking questions.
Gun Club 82 will feature a shooting range, a restaurant and multiple lounges where you can enjoy your favorite adult beverage.
People have naturally been wondering whether guns, alcohol, food and family can mix. As Team 12's Mike Gonzalez found out, they can—but not all at the same time.
For CEO and founder Rod Ghani, this massive facility—strategically located next to Top Golf and Main Event—has been a lifelong dream, a place where families can enjoy a state-of-the-art shooting range, eat some great food at their restaurant and hang out with friends.
(By the way, the name Gun Club 82 comes from the periodic table for lead.)
But his mission statement is very clear: It's all about safety.
"It’s about an unforgettable experience and safety. Safety is our top priority," Ghani said.
"This is a place where a family can come and be in a safe environment. There's going to be no safer place to enjoy shooting."
Ghani showed 12 News the 80,000-plus square-foot facility, which he assures will be the safest of its kind. It has 24 shooting lanes, virtual simulation rooms, and you can even rent a machine gun.
Ghani says he knows the biggest question most people have: How will the guns and alcohol mix?
Shooting range manager Scott Reed told 12 News how it would work.
It's a zero-tolerance policy. If you have one beer from the restaurant, the range's computer system locks you out for 24 hours.
It’s very simple; you will not be able to shoot.
"It works on your driver license and identification. It gets scanned in the restaurant. In order to rent a range lane, you must present me with your driver's license," said Reed, who is a competitive shooter.
Also, if you go with a group and one person drinks, you will all have to stop shooting.
But you can shoot then eat and drink a bit and hang out with friends there.
Ghani says his biggest push will be for female gun owners. They’re one of the fastest growing segments of gun owners. He expects more than half of the shooters at the range will be women.
"The female market is a huge part of venue. They’re actually 75% of the market," said Ghani.
If all goes according to plan, the facility is expected to open in September. Memberships start at $40 and go up from there. You can also come in without a membership.
You can find Gun Club 82 at 1695 S. Santan Village in Gilbert.