Louisiana Restaurant Reopens Despite LDH Revoking Food Permit

A Livingston Parish restaurant has reopened despite the Louisiana Department of Health revoking its food permit.

Firehouse BBQ in Denham Springs had their permit yanked for violating mask and social distancing mandates handed down by the Governor's office under Phase 2 of reopening. According to WAFB, The owner refused to comply with the face mask and distancing then, and she's refusing to accept being shut down now.

At the end of July the Firehouse BBQ owner posted the following message on Facebook:

the use of masks for extended periods of time during shifts by our employees has caused several medical reactions that are negatively impacting their ability to perform their positions. Since re-breathing their own carbon dioxide over a period of time can and has led to symptoms such as migraines and anxiety attacks and other medical conditions, we are no longer requiring our employees to wear the masks. Customers and employees are given the option to wear a mask or not. It is not mandated in our store.

Once her restaurant was ordered to close by the Louisiana Department of Health, the owner posted that Firehouse BBQ would stay open "despite the attempted enforcement of an illegal mandate" on the Firehouse BBQ Facebook page. The owner also asked for help in paying for legal representation.

pay for the lawyer that will be fighting for your rights and ours as citizens.

On Monday, customers steadily flowed in and almost every single person was maskless, possibly a stand in solidarity with Firehouse's pushback when it comes to the COVID-19 mandates. Even Tony Spell, the pastor who repeatedly defied Governor Edwards' stay-at-home order by keeping his church open for large worship services, showed up to enjoy a meal at the BBQ restaurant.

Our civil and religious liberties are being taken from us minute by minute. Our governor is tyrannical. He’s pushing socialistic ideologies on us as free Americans and we’re not going to tolerate it. We’re only going to support a business that will allow us to come in without masks.

Firehouse BBQ was the first restaurant in Louisiana to have its food permit revoked by the Louisiana Department of Health for violating the mandates. The owner declined to be interviewed but says she will keep her restaurant open for business until LDH takes "further action to forcibly shut down the business."

See the full story here via WAFB.