ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — There are mixed reactions to the mask mandates across the First Coast. Masks are required inside businesses within the cities of Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Fernandina Beach.
One restaurant owner says she’s getting backlash for also encouraging people to wear masks. In St. Augustine, Osprey Tacos owner Erica Thompson says there’s a divide.
“We have our staff masked at all times. It’s not easy for our cooks in the back with 95 degrees ... with a griddle and a mask all day, but it’s what we have to do,” Thompson said. “There is that handful of people that, they are struggling the mandate and taking it out on us.”
Some people following the mask mandate, others are not, and are taking it out on local businesses like hers.
“We find it tough. We’ve been verbally harassed, we’ve had some negative reviews on it online and it’s a tough position,” Thompson said.
She’s handing out masks to customers who pick up their to-go orders.
“We are even providing masks for people because some will walk away and we find we’re losing business if we don’t provide the masks for them,” Thompson said.
One man turned down the offer from one of Thompson’s employees two weeks ago.
“He said, ‘absolutely not.' He threw it in her face and walked out without his food,” Thompson said.
Other small businesses like The Happy Grilled Cheese in downtown Jacksonville say most customers follow the mask mandate. Employees are also required to wear masks on shift.
“It’s a protective measure for my staff because as a small business if we have one employee get sick we have to shut down,” Brittny Lowery, managing partner of The Happy Grilled Cheese said.
Lowery says their restaurants in downtown and in Mandarin stopped doing dine-in weeks ago after cases increased.
She says with the growing number of cases and the delay in returned testing results, some businesses can’t afford to close down.
“A seven to 10-day closure for a small business is a long time. That’s a lot of income lost, so we’re just trying to be as careful as possible,” Lowery adds.
Some think the government should only encourage people to wear masks, not require it.
State representative Anthony Sabatini, who is also an attorney is suing the City of Jacksonville on behalf of a local business owner Jason French.
He says the city mandate and others like it around the state violate constitutional rights.
“If they want to encourage it that’s fine, but they should not be punishing or dropping the hammer on people who don’t,” Sabatini said.
For Thompson, she feels the mask is not about the person wearing it, it’s about protecting others.
As a business owner with a family to support, the health of the community is important to her.
“I’m eight months pregnant, I’m still at the restaurant, my husband is there every day, we’re trying to keep our family safe, our staff safe trying to do their job and ultimately you and your family safe as well,” she said.
The mask mandates in Jacksonville and St. Augustine are in effect until further notice.
Sabatini says he is waiting for a ruling on the lawsuit soon and is hoping an injunction can stop the mandate.