Posted on 05/23/2020 2:43:04 PM PDT by lightman
A Pennsylvania lawmaker is fervently supporting the owners of two York County diners that reportedly lost their operation licenses because they opened for dine-in services ahead of the governor’s schedule.
In a lengthy Facebook post on Friday, Rep. Mike Jones (R-York) insisted the two Round the Clock Diner locations were issued a Notice of Emergency Temporary Suspension, but didn’t lose any licenses.
Written warnings were issued on May 14 to the 222 Arsenal Road and 145 Memory Lane locations, according to Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Shannon Powers. But because they reopened for dine-in services ahead of schedule, their licenses were revoked, she said.
Disputing the department, Jones said “everyone was prepared for this and [this] is the least serious action the Department of Agriculture could take.”
Owners Dimos and Christos Sacarellos can reopen if they agree to offer take-out only, Jones said, but he’s encouraging them to keep pushing back.
“We cannot tolerate this,” Jones wrote on Facebook. “Likewise, I trust this causes each of you to strengthen your resolve and to be MORE COMMITTED THAN EVER!”
Both diners confirmed Saturday that they’re open for dine-in services.
The Department of Agriculture didn’t immediately return a request for clarification on the diners’ status.
As 12 more counties on Friday moved to the “yellow” phase of Gov. Tom Wolf’s reopening process, a handful of businesses announced plans to skirt regulations by offering dine-in services, or events known for packing in hundreds or thousands of people at a time.
The yellow, or “aggressive mitigation" stage of Wolf’s plan means businesses can reopen, but strictly for take-out or curbside service. Dine-in isn’t approved until the green phase, but with limited capacity for the time being.
Palmyra’s family-owned Italian eatery Taste of Sicily announced it’s offering indoor and outdoor seating, and has been so “slammed” with customers that operating hours might be expanded.
Fay’s Country Kitchen in Carlisle started offering dine-in services on Friday — the same day Cumberland County moved to “yellow."
Jones said the diner owners’ attorney thinks the temporary suspension was done in retaliation for a Friday appearance on Fox News.
Dimos Sacarellos told the news outlet that he and Christos, his son, decided to reopen their dining rooms after receiving multiple requests from customers who were ordering take-out and eating it in the parking lots.
“They were telling us, ‘Please open up. Please open up,'” Dimos Sacarellos said. “We have over 100 people — 160 people working in here. These people try to support their families. And, we decided to open up on Mother’s Day. People were overwhelming and everyone walked in the door saying, ‘Thank you for opening. Thank you. Thank you.’”
Jones said Dimos and Christos Sacarellos are “more determined than ever” and intend to fight the suspension in a hearing with the Department of Agriculture.
Someone sent FOX 43 a photo on Saturday morning from one of the Round the Clock Diner locations — fully open, with a line out the door and hardly anyone wearing a face mask, the station reported.
In the Fox News interview, Christos Sacarellos said, “Well look, we’ve flattened the curve. We sat down. You know, now it’s time to stand up [and] flatten the fear."
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Tom Wolf is enjoying his new found power and will be very reluctant to let go of it.
I say f the licenses
Yeah, Tommie the Commie is basking in all his glory. This is his life’s greatest achievement. The has wrestled freedom and liberty from Pennsylvanians. He has destroyed businesses and the jobs that go along with them. He has filled nursing homes with the ChiCom flu and murdered hundreds of seniors. He is a tyrant, a socialist, and one of the world’s finest examples of human excrement. And that is just his good side.
No valid reason for business licenses - ever. Period.
It is a test people.
The rats are going to figure a way around the current issues and come back HARDER!
I’ve been calling it a dry run. They are absolutely horrible.
Real Trumplicans need to have their voices shouting and reminding voters what the rats are doing.
Its right here in our backyard and I look forward to dining there. I’ve been there before and I’m going to be there in the future.
Boy, what can go wrong with that scenario?
Total agreement.
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