Starting Monday, the city of Los Angeles will require proof of vaccination in restaurants. This is similar to what cities in the Bay Area have mandated that lead to two In-N-Out to openly violate the mandate.
Many have wondered how restaurants will react to the mandate, particularly In-N-Out. In-N-Out has called out vaccine mandates as “government overreach” and said that they will not comply with any mandates and it seems like they will continue to go against the mandate in their Los Angeles locations. Their Fisherman’s Wharf location was forced to shut down temporarily after it violated the local vaccination check mandate. In their Pleasant Hill location, the restaurant was hit with two fines of $250 and $500 for violating the mandate. In-N-Out’s corporate office has called the mandates, “intrusive, improper, and offensive.”
Los Angeles County already has a vaccine mandate in some bars and other locations. LA County Sheriff Alex Villaneuva has been a vocal critic of vaccine mandates, particularly in the public safety sector, “An individual who served the community tirelessly before there was a vaccine should not now be fired because they made a decision about their own body”. For restaurants and food establishments like In-N-Out. Some regulars will continue to eat there such as Rick Rodriguez who said, “It’s their business however they want to run things” Some demonstrated outside the Pleasant Hill location with signs such as “Stop the Mandate!”
While the mandate is to start on Monday, enforcement will not begin until next month on November 29th.
Photo Cred: LA MAG
