As the Delta coronavirus variant surges and hospitalizations continue to increase across the country, some restaurant owners have begun to refuse service to unvaccinated guests. “No vax, no service” placards are becoming more common on restaurant doors and windows.
According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, a restaurant and bar in Atlanta announced today that it would begin requiring guests to be vaccinated, joining “a small but growing roster of restaurants in cities like New York and Los Angeles that are mandating vaccinations among patrons.” Last Saturday, San Francisco restaurant owner Marc Zimmerman began requiring proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test.
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In St. Louis, restaurateur Ben Poremba—owner of Bengelina Hospitality Group, which includes Elaia, Olio, Nixta, The Benevolent King, AO&Co., and La Patisserie Chouquette—announced today that effective immediately, guests dining indoors at his restaurants must be vaccinated, while outdoor dining is still available for unvaccinated guests. In addition, masks are required upon arrival, as well as any time that a guest leaves the table and when a staffer approaches the table.
While the restaurant group isn’t requiring proof of vaccination via documentation, a reservation request will not be granted unless the vaccination prompt is answered. For walk ins, Poremba’s greeters will ask the party members whether they’ve been vaccinated and, if not, offer to seat them outdoors.
In addition, Poremba is mandating that all employees must show proof of vaccination. (Pi Pizzeria’s Chris Sommers announced the same policy on Twitter yesterday.)
Given the rise of new infections, Poremba says he feels compelled to mitigate the threat of unvaccinated individuals exposing staff and guests to unnecessary health risks. “Irrespective of that,” he says, “restaurants can’t afford another shutdown,” and he hopes that other restaurants will adopt a similar policy.
“Israel has a digital certificate—called a green pass—that guests must show to gain access to public venues,” he adds. “Until something like that happens here, it’s up to the individual restaurant owners to keep their customers safe. It’s imperative that we get ahead of this, or we all go back to where we were a few months ago.”
