(LifeSiteNews) — Holding firm in its refusal to “become the vaccination police,” popular California-based burger joint In-N-Out has opted to offer drive-thru and take-out service only for all its restaurants in one Bay Area county rather than force employees to check patrons’ COVID-19 vaccination status.
Last month Contra Costa county, located in the east Bay Area of California near San Francisco, adopted a COVID-19 vaccine mandate demanding certain public venues — including restaurants — to require patrons to show proof of “full” vaccination or a negative test result along with a photo ID to gain entry.
Instead of bowing to pressure to enforce the COVID-19 vaccine passport rule in, In-N-Out Burger, which was founded in 1948 as a small hamburger stand in Baldwin Park and maintains its mid-century muscle car motif, opted to stay true to its roots and its values by keeping its drive-thru open and shutting down indoor dining for its five Contra Costa locations rather than enforce the local vaccine passport rule.
The move came after county health officials closed down In-N-Out’s Pleasant Hill location and fined three other In-N-Outs in the area, leading protesters to rally outside two of the Contra Costa locations to support the burger joint’s stand against the discriminatory regulations.
Protesters rally in support of In-N-Out after CA location closed due to health order violation https://t.co/3BwL30PxWi
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) October 28, 2021
“The reason for the closure is that In-N-Out Associates were not actively intervening by demanding COVID-19 vaccine or testing documentation and photo identification from each dine-in Customer before serving them,” In-N-Out Chief Legal and Business Officer Arnie Wensinger said in a statement after health officials ordered their Pleasant Hill location to permanently close down, according to The Hill.
“Rather than acting as enforcement agents, our Associates were allowing our Customers to be responsible for their own compliance with the divisive local regulations,” Wensinger said.
The Hill reported that the Pleasant Hill location had been hit with numerous 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 said in a statement, according to the outlet.
Though public health officials had ordered the Pleasant Hill location to shut down for running afoul of the county’s vaccine passport mandate, the restaurant re-opened its drive-thru only a day later on Wednesday night.
It's official: Joe Biden has announced that his Administration will be forcing COVID vaccinations on nearly 1/3rd of American citizens, blatantly disregarding the personal objections of millions of people and moving America ever closer towards a medical dictatorship.
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On Thursday, September 9th, Joe Biden announced the latest round of federal orders meant to further coerce large swaths of the public into getting the COVID vaccine -- many against their will.
While the legal standing of these measures is, at best, dubious, the Biden Administration appears more ready than ever to gut our individual rights and practically erase medical autonomy in our country.
This latest escalation in overreach was announced via a televised speech in which Biden outlined a new "six-point plan" that includes far more than just six avenues to achieve mass medical compliance.
Among the most egregious new federal mandates are the following:
- A requirement that all private businesses employing more than 100 people mandate their workers get the Covid-19 vaccine or submit to weekly testing (to be implemented by way of a new Department of Labor rule)
- A requirement that all federal employees and federal contractors get the COVID vaccine
- A requirement that all healthcare workers in facilities that receive reimbursement from Medicare and/or Medicaid (an estimated 17 million) get the Covid-19 vaccine without an alternative testing option
- A requirement that all Head Start teachers get the COVID vaccine
- A federal effort to lobby states to implement vaccine mandates for all school employees, and require regular testing of all students and school staff
- A federal effort to lobby entertainment venues to require proof of vaccination or testing in order to grant entry to the public
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As we've said from the beginning, science, basic logic, and common sense should dictate policy regarding COVID and the Delta variant.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
'Biden announces vaccine requirements for private businesses, impacting tens of millions of Americans': https://www.
News of In-N-Out’s decision to preemptively close indoor dining at its Contra Costa locations came after the company’s San Francisco location was briefly closed down earlier this month.
On October 4, health officials temporarily shut down San Francisco’s only In-N-Out restaurant, located in the city’s popular Fisherman’s Wharf district.
The penalty came after health officials allegedly gave the restaurant repeated warnings, advising its management that employees would need to check patrons’ COVID-19 vaccination status in order to stay open.
In a statement, Wensinger said, “We fiercely disagree with any government dictate that forces a private company to discriminate against customers who choose to patronize their business.”
Calling out the city for asking restaurants like In-N-Out to “segregate Customers” based on their vaccination status, Wensinger added, “We refuse to become the vaccination police for any government,” describing the mandate as “clear governmental overreach” which “is intrusive, improper, and offensive.”
As with the Contra Costa locations, the San Francisco restaurant reopened its drive-thru and take-out options shortly after its scuffle with the public health authorities, but has kept its indoor dining closed.
Ever since In-N-Out made its stand against the California vaccine passport regulations, the already popular restaurant has drawn attention from private citizens and public figures alike, who have expressed their appreciation for the business’s willingness to stand up for the rights of both its employees and its customers.
FREEDOM BURGERS! @cacollegegop Hold Rally to Support In-N-Out https://t.co/JMW1cmFhhh
— toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) October 24, 2021
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ spokeswoman Christina Pushaw put out a call for In-N-Out, a California-based family-owned restaurant with locations in Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Utah, Oregon, and Colorado, to open up locations in Florida as well.
PLEASE come to Florida! 🍔
San Francisco’s only In-N-Out closed for not checking proof of vaccination https://t.co/IiUjcLApU9
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 (@ChristinaPushaw) October 19, 2021
In-N-Out, which late last year announced it was opening at least one location in Idaho, has not yet responded to the offer to open locations in the Sunshine State.
It is unclear whether In-N-Out will seek legal action if it continues to face pressure and penalties from health officials for refusing to comply with the “clear government overreach” of vaccine passport requirements in California.
Known for its soda-cup Bible verses and charitable foundation to help child abuse victims, In-N-Out is currently run by CEO Lynsi Snider, a vocal Christian and granddaughter of the company’s original founders.
Snyder, 39, who struggled with serious personal tragedy and addiction before dedicating her life to Christ, has spoken publicly about wanting to encourage other Christians to live their faith authentically.
Speaking about the “battle over souls,” Snyder told the Christian Post in a 2019 interview, “We want to be on the front lines of this battle to save the lost and bring fallen Christians back to their first love.”