marcduf/iStockBy LEAH LA ROSA, ABC News
(CASTLE ROCK, Colo.) — A restaurant in Colorado is being ordered to close after video surfaced of unmasked patrons dining there on Mother’s Day.
The video, which was posted to Twitter and taken by a local news reporter, has racked up more than five million views in the last 24 hours.
Dozens of people can be seen waiting in line to eat at C&C Coffee and Kitchen and sitting close to each other at tables. Few diners were wearing masks.
Happy Mother’s Day from C& C in Castle Rock, where the owner said this is almost double a normal Mother’s Day. pic.twitter.com/cPSzjmAfAg
— Nick Puckett (@nick__puckett) May 10, 2020
Restaurants and bars in Colorado are only allowed to offer delivery and pickup service since March 19. The state has 19,703 COVID-19 cases and 971 deaths from the virus, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Local health officials said C&C violated the governor’s public health orders.
“It is disheartening that this restaurant has chosen to move ahead of the public orders and not even consider implementing best practices to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” John M. Douglas, Jr., executive director of Tri-County Health Department, said in a statement. “It is not fair to the rest of the community and other business owners that are following Safer at Home and doing their part. We sincerely hope that C&C will choose to cooperate with the rules under which they are allowed to operate so we can lift this closure order.”
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said he would address the matter after the video went viral.
“I love my mom far too much to put her at risk by visiting a busy restaurant operating illegally, just to take a selfie with omelets and a mimosa,” he said Monday. “Colorado, America, we are better than that.”
April Arellano, owner of C&C, did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment. But she told Colorado Community Media that she “expected it to be busy, but never expected this.”
“I’m so happy so many people came out to support the Constitution and stand up for what is right,” April Arellano said. “We did our time. We did our two weeks. We did more than two weeks…and we were failing. We had to do something.”
If C&C refuses to follow the governor’s orders, further legal action will be taken that could include revocation of the restaurant’s license, according to health officials.
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