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May 11, 2020 - Health

Colorado restaurant defies coronavirus restrictions, serving hundreds on Mother's Day

Fadel Allassan

A restaurant in Castle Rock, Colorado, reopened on Sunday, serving hundreds of customers Mother's Day meals with no social-distancing measures despite the state's "safer-at-home" coronavirus-linked executive order, Colorado Community Media first reported.

The big picture: It's the latest example of small businesses shirking their states' coronavirus restrictions — and going viral in the process. April Arellano, the owner of C & C Coffee & Kitchen, told the outlet that the restaurant opened to "support the Constitution and stand up for what is right."

  • A video from inside the restaurant by Colorado Community Media reporter Nick Puckett had more than 5,000 retweets and almost 18,000 likes on Monday morning.
  • Puckett only saw one patron wearing a face mask inside the establishment — and a bouncer with a visible sidearm stood by the door.
  • Colorado's order does not allow dine-in service.

What they're saying: "We are standing for America, small businesses, the Constitution and against the overreach of our governor in Colorado!!" the restaurant posted on Twitter, tagging President Trump.

  • Arellano told Colorado Community Media: "We did our time. We did our two weeks. We did more than two weeks ... and we were failing. We had to do something."
  • She said that she wasn't concerned about the virus spreading via her restaurant, telling the outlet that "we wash and sanitize everything anyway."

A spokesperson for Gov. Jared Polis told the Denver Post that the restaurant is "endangering the lives of their staff, customers and community."

  • The Tri-County Health Department told CBS Denver it would follow up with the restaurant to ensure it complies with the governor's executive order.
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