Northern Kentucky restaurant won’t close indoor dining room despite spike in cases, governor’s order



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DRY RIDGE, KY. – Beans Cafe and Bakery in Dry Ridge will keep its dining hall open, defying the order of Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear demanding that all restaurants close indoor facilities and not move to perform until 5 p.m. Friday.

“Thinking about what we gave up last year is amazing,” owner Richard Hayhoe said on Friday. “None of us would ever have said that we would be where we are a year ago. And yet, here we are.

Hayhoe said the rules and restrictions for individuals and businesses related to COVID-19 are too severe. He said he kept his restaurant’s dining room open because he wanted his customers to decide for themselves whether they wanted to eat a sit-down meal or go through the drive-thru.

“Do what’s best for you and your family and your situation,” Hayhoe said. “Please, Frankfort, you don’t have to tell everyone what to and shouldn’t do.

Governor Beshear on Wednesday announced several new requirements for restaurants, including stopping serving customers in their dining rooms. Instead, they can use outside seating, take-out, and drive-thru. He also announced $ 40 million in CARES legislation to help restaurants during restrictions.

Beshear said his order was not a stop but “surgical and targeted measures” needed to slow the spread of COVID-19 and save lives.

The order went into effect Friday and lasts until December 13, but Hayhoe has said he will keep his café and bakery open to diners during the holidays. He said he wanted to see the Kentucky legislature more involved in decisions about COVID-19 restrictions that he does not deem fair to businesses or the public.

“It’s a scary direction,” he says. “I don’t know where it takes us next, but I’m not a criminal today. I hope I still won’t be a criminal tomorrow.

WCPO has contacted the Northern Kentucky Department of Health regarding Beans Cafe and Bakery’s plan to keep its dining room open.

The ministry did not respond directly to the restaurant’s decision, but said it was awaiting more detailed instructions from the governor’s office on how to handle the app.

“The governor’s emergency executive decrees aimed at reducing the spread of COVID have the force of law,” the statement said. “While these new temporary restrictions affect schools, many facility operators and the public, it is essential that everyone follow the steps to help slow the rate of new COVID cases in our communities. Reducing the number of new cases will help our hospitals, our first responders, and public health and health workers who are already struggling to meet the demand for services. These agencies and organizations must be able to function to take care of all of us. “

WCPO also contacted Governor Beshear’s office regarding Beans Cafe and Bakery. Again, they didn’t respond specifically about the restaurant, but provided a text of what the governor said on Wednesday.

Beshear said in part: “These new restrictions are much easier to apply than most of the others. For example, being closed to the restaurant or bar service inside, you can very easily see (if a business is not complying). We will also seek help from our counties. Under Chapter 39A, they can apply many parts of this decree. It is certain that most of the affected groups have a license, and there will be problems with those licenses if they do not follow these new rules and restrictions. They will also not be eligible for the $ 40 million fund if they do not follow them. “

In a Facebook post, Beans Cafe and Bakery said of the latest orders: “It’s not just about health anymore, it’s about control.”

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear announced an “insanely high” number of 3,649 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, again breaking the record for the most reported cases statewide in a single day.



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