In brazen defiance of lockdown, a Colorado restaurant was seen packed with people in shocking footage that’s now going viral on social media.
Video shot inside Castle Rock’s C&C Coffee and Kitchen shows packed diners sitting close to each other, enjoying drinks, and waiting for their food on Mother’s Day.
As if it’s not enough, most of them were without face masks.
The owner of the restaurant, April Arellano, shot a live video on Facebook to thank the crowd of people who showed up to eat.
“So much for some of those people saying nobody would show up,” April said in the footage.
The footage soon went viral, with a number of people slamming the restaurant owner for flouting the lockdown order of the state.
“These restaurants are not only breaking the law, they are endangering the lives of their staff, customers and community,” a statement from Governor Jared Polis’ office said.
Restaurants have been directed not to entertain any dine-in orders.
“We are disappointed that Cookies and Crème has decided to ignore the Governor’s Safer at Home order and open up today with no attention to social distancing,” the health department said.
The department said they’d “follow up with this restaurant to ensure that they, like other restaurants in the county, take appropriate steps to protect the public health, by limiting service to curbside and take-out service.”
According to the Denver Post, restaurants and pubs that flout the state’s directives could face a $1,000 fine or a jail sentence.
A spokesman for Governor Jared Polis’ said that “Coloradans can contact their local public health department if they believe someone is violating Safer at Home.”
One person who witnessed the crowd at the Castle Rock restaurant said he’d file a complaint against the place.
“I wasn’t even going to eat the food even if I had gotten it,” he told the Denver Post. “I walked in, took the picture and turned right around.”
However, some people were totally supportive of the restaurant decision.
A social media user wrote: “Happy Mother’s Day from C& C in Castle Rock, where the owner said this is almost double a normal Mother’s Day.”
Holly Burrell, a customer at the restaurant, told 9News: “I’m here to support this because I love the fact that we all have choices. That’s what being an American is about.
“I think we need to focus on the healthy people being out and the people that aren’t healthy to stay in.”
Replaced!