A number of restaurants in Contra Costa County have defied the county's vaccine mandate for indoor service and have piled up hundreds of dollars in fines for non-compliance.
In late October, an In-N-Out Burger in Pleasant Hill made headlines when health officials revoked its permit for violating the health order requiring proof of vaccination for indoor diners. But weeks before that, other restaurants also were getting warnings and fines over the same violation.
Lumpy's Diner on Lone Tree Way in Antioch, for one, has racked up $1,750 in fines and could face permit revocation next, county officials said.
Lumpy's owner told NBC Bay Area there's a lot of misinformation circulating about her restaurant but declined to provide any further comment. She acknowledged to the East Bay Times that her restaurant is not checking for proof of vaccination out of respect for her customers.
A spokesperson for Contra Costa Health Services said in a statement: "The primary goal of health-order enforcement is to gain compliance by educating business owners. Suspending a restaurant's permit is a last resort."
Other Contra Costa County restaurants that have been fined $250 each include Fuddruckers on Diamond Boulevard in Concord and In-N-Out Burger locations in San Ramon and Pinole, according to the county.
Huckleberry's Breakfast & Lunch on Treat Boulevard in Concord and MJ's Downtown Cafe on First Street in Brentwood have received warnings of non-compliance, the county said. Those eateries soon could be facing fines.
Local
After the Pleasant Hill In-N-Out restaurant was shut down for indoor service, other Contra Costa County locations in the fast-food chain stopped indoor service.
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