DENVER — Black History Month is February. Hispanic Heritage Month is Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. And at one Colorado barbecue joint, June 11 is White Appreciation Day.

Two Hispanic restaurant owners, Edgar Antillon and Miguel Jiminez, who recently bought Rubbin Buttz BBQ in Milliken, Colorado, have decided to offer a 10 percent discount that day to white customers.

“We have a whole month for Black History Month,” Mr. Antillon told 9News in Denver. “We have a whole month for Hispanic Heritage Month, so we thought the least we could do was offer one day to appreciate white Americans.”

It may have started out as a joke, but now there’s a sign taped on the restaurant’s window and posted on his Twitter feed announcing the event with the message, “Because all Americans should be celebrated!!”

Whether the owners can actually pull off the appreciation remains to be seen. Jennifer McPherson of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies told 9News that the civil rights division would investigate if someone were to file a complaint.

Then again, Mr. Antillon isn’t afraid of a little controversy. A firearms instructor, he launched an initiative drive last year to allow legal marijuana users in Colorado to obtain concealed handgun permits. He also offers free concealed-carry classes at venues statewide through his organization, Guns for Everyone.

Before launching White Appreciation Day, Mr. Antillon asked for comments on his Facebook page about the idea. The reaction was mostly positive, although several people warned him against doing it.

“[D]on’t antagonize the people who’ll twist your point to make you look like something you’re not,” one commenter said.

Mr. Antillon agreed that “people will try to politicize the [expletive] out of it,” but insisted, “It’s simply a day to celebrate White Heritage, like I celebrate my Mexican Heritage on September 16th (Mexican Independence), and celebrate my American Heritage on July 4th.”

If nothing else, the plan is sure to generate significant publicity, which may be the restaurant owners’ end game.

“Free advertising on the NEWS,” said one commenter on his Facebook page. “I’d say Go For It!”

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