An In-N-Out restaurant in Contra Costa County has been shut down for violating the county’s coronavirus vaccine mandate.
Health officials closed the restaurant Tuesday after it would not check people’s vaccination status who wanted to eat indoors.
Officials say the restaurant had multiple warnings before they were ultimately told to close indefinitely for violating the mandate.
“The Pleasant Hill In-N-Out location received four citations in recent weeks and fines totaling $1,750, all for the same health order violation, before today’s action,” Contra Costa Environmental Health (CCEH) said in a statement.
Two other In-N-Out restaurants in the area have also been given fines and warnings for not checking a person’s vaccination status before they eat.
The closing and fines in Contra Costa County follow an In-N-Out in San Francisco that was closed for several days for not checking people’s vaccination status.
The restaurant was allowed to reopen because they agreed to only have take-out and outdoor dining.
In-N-Out Chief Legal and Business Officer Arnie Wensinger supported the restaurant through the whole process saying it shouldn’t be their job to police a person’s vaccine status.
“We refuse to become the vaccination police for any government. It is unreasonable, invasive, and unsafe to force our restaurant Associates to segregate Customers into those who may be served and those who may not, whether based on the documentation they carry, or any other reason,” Wensinger said in a statement.
“We refuse to become the vaccination police for any government. It is unreasonable, invasive, and unsafe to force our restaurant Associates to segregate Customers into those who may be served and those who may not, whether based on the documentation they carry, or any other reason,” In-N-Out Chief Legal and Business Officer Arnie Wensinger said in a statement.
The Hill has reached out to In-N-Out for comment.