California restaurant has gas turned off for breaking COVID protocols, still refuses to shut down outdoor dining
One California restaurant is taking great effort to defy the COVID-19 shutdown.
City officials turned off the gas to Restauration in Long Beach on Saturday after owner Dana Tanner refused to stop serving outdoor dining.
So Tanner went to Home Depot, bought an electric water heating and got right back to business: Sunday brunch.
“I’ve seen the damage this does to people when they lose their livelihood,” she told the Los Angeles Times. “I refuse to participate in that.”
Tanner said none of her 13 employees have tested positive and that she’s being “super cautious.” She denied breaking any laws, despite Los Angeles County banning outdoor dining after Thanksgiving due to spiking COVID-19 cases.
The restaurateur first got into trouble with health officials when she hosted a New Year’s Eve dinner, despite warnings, according to the Long Beach Post.
Last week, she was charged with four misdemeanor counts, two each for violating the local health order and the state’s regional stay-at-home order. Each is punishable by up to six months in county jail and a $1,000 fine.
