Texas couple kicked out of restaurant after wearing masks

A Texas restaurant has kicked out a couple who wore face coverings to protect their immunocompromised 4-year-old son – and their owner defends the decision, saying “I don’t want masks here.”

Natalie Wester and her husband went to the Hang Time Bar & Grill in Rowlett earlier this month with friends to relax, but the new parents decided to hide out of caution due to their at-risk child at home, who has Cystic fibrosis, KTVT reported.

“If you’ve been new parents before, spending those few hours outside once or twice a month is so important to your mental health,” Wester told the station on Saturday.

But hopes for a relaxing and stress-free outing were dashed when a waitress told the fully vaccinated couple that they should remove their masks as part of the restaurant’s dress code, Wester said.

“Our waitress came over, sat down next to me and said, ‘So our manager sent us because I’m nicer than him and yes it’s very political but you have to take off your mask’ “Wester recalled.

The owner of the restaurant, which also offers live music, confirmed that the couple were invited to leave on September 10 because they had not checked their face covers at the door.

“I spent my money on this business, I put my blood, sweat and tears in this business and I don’t want any masks here,” the owner, identified only as Tom, told the station.

The owner said he has every right to refuse business to anyone who does not respect his unofficial dress code. There is no sign indicating the policy, but a hostess tells all guests to remove their masks at the front door, KTVT reported.

“I think the overall reaction with the masks is ludicrous in the United States right now,” said the owner. “So when they put on their masks the other night, we reminded them that they had been asked up front to take them off. They didn’t want to, so we asked them to leave.

The owner said he was unaware the face covers should protect the couple’s immunocompromised son, but insisted the rules apply to all guests and will continue to apply, KTVT reported.

A lawyer told the station that rules or policies applied by companies cannot violate a person’s health needs as specified in the Americans with Disabilities Act, but the legality of the face mask ban does not. is unclear, according to the report.

A message from The Post requesting additional comment from the restaurant early Monday was not immediately returned. Her Instagram page was no longer available.

Wester, meanwhile, detailed “the very unpleasant experience” she had with her husband, Jose, in a lengthy Facebook post. She said they put on masks to make sure their son, who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, would not pick up COVID-19 because he would have to be hospitalized if he did.

“I wanted to share this information in case someone who was actually wise enough to be afraid of Covid could avoid this place,” Webster wrote on Faceboook.

“I am so shocked at the level of ignorance in our country and I am afraid to think how much the pandemic will get worse knowing that so many people think this way.”