A bar along Florida’s Space Coast says business is booming because of a new rule: no facemasks allowed inside.
The owner of Westside Sports Bar and Lounge in Melbourne says he vows to throw out anyone who puts on a mask, saying they don’t believe in masks despite the coronavirus pandemic.
“We find it completely unnecessary to have facemasks at all. We do not support them,” Gary Kirby said in a story reported by NBC affiliate WFLA-TV.
Kirby said the decision was a security issue after someone committed a crime but was unidentifiable on security cameras due to a mask, adding those who come in with a mask will be asked first to take if off before being forced to leave.
The owner said the bar was not forced to close since they serve food and said it has been good for business.
“My Facebook, the business page, has taken off. They love it,” Kirby said.
Florida law does not require masks to be worn inside a business during the pandemic and leaves decisions up to each individual business. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people wear masks in public settings and when around people who don’t live in your household, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
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Kirby said he has gotten a death threat for prohibiting masks but says he does not plan to change his decision.
