‘If That Bothers You Then Please Dine Elsewhere’: Gaithersburg Restaurant Refuses Mask Protocol
The Grille at Flower Hill in Gaithersburg has been receiving attention – not the good kind – on social media after a now-deleted Facebook post from a manager or owner saying that employees will not wear face masks.
“Let me be very clear… my staff will not wear face masks while working here at the Grille,” the post said.
“If that bothers you then please dine elsewhere and please try to find something more important to occupy your time such as volunteer at a nursing home or soup kitchen. Whoever you are that filed the complaint, you need to take a good look in the mirror and try to find some real meaning in your life.”
In a statement emailed to MyMCMedia, Montgomery County Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles acknowledged complaints received about The Grille. Gayles said a complaint was received Monday, June 29, and a Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) environmental health inspector visited the restaurant three days later on Thursday, July 2. The inspector gave a “verbal reminder” about public health requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Complaints about employees not wearing masks were again received on Monday, July 6. According to the statement and The Grille’s Facebook page, the restaurant’s normal operating days are Thursday-Sunday, so it will be visited by the DHHS again on Thursday, July 9 when it reopens.
“As we receive complaints about businesses like the Grille at Flower Hill for not following the requirements for the wearing of face masks and keeping customers physically distanced, we will fully investigate each complaint. If we find that a business has been educated and continues to willfully ignore the requirements to safely reopen, we will use our legal authority to prohibit their operations until they comply,” Dr. Gayles said in his statement.
In a Facebook post Sunday, The Grille said that it was closed that day and asked for residents to direct complaints about limited hours to County Executive Marc Elrich and Gov. Larry Hogan.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CCUFvJbhLFi/
“The Grille will be closed Sunday July 5th. We will re-open Thursday July 9th at 4pm hopefully. Please direct any and all complaints regarding our limited hours of service to Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich and Gov Larry Hogan,” the post said.
DHHS Spokesperson Mary Anderson said that the DHHS did not close down the restaurant.
Although the original post about mask-wearing has been deleted, people have been leaving mostly disapproving comments on other recent posts from The Grille.
“Hopefully not reopening ever! Since you’re explicitly putting your customers and staff in danger by refusing to wear masks. Horrible mindset in this challenging time,” says one comment under The Grille’s most recent Facebook post.
“How much are you charging for the side of COVID-19?” says another comment under a post about menu options.
I’d say the owner pretty well exceeded the “willful ignorance” threshold and went straight to contempt. Adios!
Again we have an example of a government that wants to RULE everyones, every business, lives. Time for this MOCO Democrat/Marxist regime to end. VOTE everyone on the MOCO County Council & The Executive out of office. Take back your freedom. Take back you God given right to live & work unmolested by any government !
To the person who wrote:
“Again we have an example of a government that wants to RULE everyones, every business, lives. Time for this MOCO Democrat/Marxist regime to end. VOTE everyone on the MOCO County Council & The Executive out of office. Take back your freedom. Take back you God given right to live & work unmolested by any government !”
You’re an idiot and bring shame to your family and the school system that allowed you to graduate with such an ignorant way of thinking.
I look forward to reading that The Grill at Flower Hill has permanently closed due to a lack of customers. The level of stupidity exhibited by the management is just astounding.
It’s a shame as I used to walk there once a week from my last house. Always appreciate Jenny and the other kind servers there. Tried to give them a chance when they reopened a month or two ago with the new BBQ-focused menu, but it just wasn’t great, and now I hear this? Sorry guys, time to shut down and see if someone who knows how to run a restaurant can use the space.
To the person who wrote:
“Again we have an example of a government that wants to RULE everyones, every business, lives. Time for this MOCO Democrat/Marxist regime to end. VOTE everyone on the MOCO County Council & The Executive out of office. Take back your freedom. Take back you God given right to live & work unmolested by any government !”
In case no one has told you today…YOU ARE AN IGNORANT A**HOLE
If they’re being consistent, management will also prohibit the staff from washing their hands before leaving the bathroom.
A typical United States branded liberty – you can’t tell me what to do, I can do anything I want to. It’s my rights.
Dine elsewhere? Okay, I’ll take your advice and never dine at the The Grille at Flower Hill ever again. Good luck staying in business while mocking your patrons. I think a CAVA Grille would look real nice in your building.
LOL. On point n hillarious
“If That Bothers You Then Please Dine Elsewhere”
I accept your proposal.
To the person who wrote:
“Again we have an example of a government that wants to RULE everyones, every business, lives. Time for this MOCO Democrat/Marxist regime to end. VOTE everyone on the MOCO County Council & The Executive out of office. Take back your freedom. Take back you God given right to live & work unmolested by any government !”
Please dine at The Grille often — hang out with the employees and customers without masks — enjoy the great food. Time to clean up the gene pool….
So — if his employees catch the virus, and it’s obvious that they got it at work — I wonder what their medical insurance company would think of their boss’s business practices of defying the law? If it was an auto insurance company they would sue him to recover all costs. He obviously has no understanding of public health — maybe he’d understand more something that hits him squarely in the wallet?