Starting Wednesday, those carrying concealed weapons are allowed to enter Arizona's roughly 5,300 establishments licensed to sell alcohol, as long as they don't drink. If those bar and restaurant owners don't want guns on the property, they must post a sign indicating that they are not allowed.

The law only requires one sign be posted in a "conspicuous" place, near the establishment's liquor license. But Al McCarthy, owner of Duke's Sports Bar & Grill in Scottsdale, put up three signs - one for each entrance to his property - "as soon as the bill passed" nearly three months ago.

"I want to make sure there's no confusion as to where this business stands on the issue," McCarthy said. "I have yet to have a customer to tell me they wish I hadn't put up the sign."

About a thousand official, laminated signs have been requested since they became available in mid-August, according to the Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control, with the average establishment requesting four signs.

Business owners also have been able to download and print their own signs from the department's Web site.

Janie Riddle, co-owner of the local chain Valle Luna, decided not to post any signs banning firearms, saying that it would be "business as usual" at the family's three Mexican restaurants.

"We've never had a problem in 26-plus years," said Riddle, whose husband, grown children and various relatives also work at Valle Luna.

"We basically talked about it as a family and as a business and just decided it was in the best interest to not prohibit law-abiding citizens from exercising their rights under the Second Amendment."

Riddle also said they felt the presence of those carrying guns legally could deter trouble from those carrying guns illegally. "I think it would get them to think twice, big time," she said.

Proponents of the bill argue that concealed-weapons permit holders - who are required to undergo a background check, be fingerprinted and take an eight-hour training course - are among the most responsible gun owners.

There were 138,348 concealed-weapons permit holders in Arizona as of Sept. 1.

Opponents are concerned that the law could create unnecessarily dangerous situations or harm the local and state tourism industry.

"I'm not anti-firearm. I honestly don't think that firearms, drinking and dining are a match," said Don Carson, who has owned Don & Charlie's Steakhouse in Scottsdale for 28 years. "I don't know that I'm looking for a gentleman with a permit for a firearm to defend me against a person who has a firearm illegally, because maybe the person with the legal firearm isn't such a good shot."

Thirty-nine other states have "restaurant carry" laws that allow guns inside dining establishments.

Various incarnations of the bill that ultimately passed this session have appeared in the state Legislature for years. Gov. Jan Brewer signed the bill into law on July 13.

"We fought it, but we didn't have any partners in the industry to rely on," said Bill Weigele, president of the Arizona Licensed Beverage Association, which originally opposed the bill.

The Arizona Restaurant Association and the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry were neutral on the bill, and no law-enforcement groups opposed it, according to Sen. Jack Harper, R-Surprise, the bill's sponsor.

Weigele said the new law was an eventual compromise between those who wanted to preserve business owners' rights and those concerned with gun-carry rights. Rather than allowing "open carries," the law restricts the gun owner to concealed weapons. The gun owner also is not allowed to drink.

Those who do drink while carrying - or who bring concealed weapons into establishments that have posted bans - could face Class 3 misdemeanor charges, punishable by 30 days' jail time and a fine of up to $500, according to Steve Duffy, an attorney who represented the beverage association. They also risk loss of their concealed-carry permits.

"We made what we thought was the best deal," Weigele said. "If we had to die on the vine, we were going to die on the vine with some good."

High demand, as well as laminating and postage costs, forced the liquor- licenses department to stop mailing signs to licensees, who can still obtain the free, approved sign in person from the Arizona Restaurant Association or online at azliquor.gov.

Todd Rathner, a lobbyist for the National Rifle Association, said he did not think the law would make a huge difference after it takes effect.

"I think that ultimately restaurant owners will make an economic decision to allow those 138,000 law-abiding citizens to come in and have a meal," Rathner said, "whether they're carrying a concealed weapon or not."