When Georgia’s governor allowed for restaurants and other businesses to re-open earlier this month, the understanding was that those businesses would follow strict safety guidelines to prevent a resurgence of COVID-19 cases. However, as we’ve seen in other states that pushed to re-open businesses, the risks weren’t worth the rewards — especially for 2 Chainz, whose Escobar Restaurant was ordered to close by Georgia authorities after throwing a raucous party for Memorial Day.
According to TMZ, Georgia State Police shut the restaurant down after noticing “the location was rather loud, busy, and occupied to be operating as a restaurant at that time of night.” The restaurant’s Instagram account features videos showing that it was packed to capacity with a line out front, as attendees to its Memorial Day Weekend party danced, smoked hookah, and ordered bottle service. The police spoke to the manager, advising them that the restaurant was “violating executive orders regarding protocol issued due to COVID-19.”
2 Chainz initially received a backlash to the announcement he was planning to re-open Escobar, prompting him to reconsider and pass out meals to the homeless instead. However, the 95% decrease in business forced Chainz and his business partner to furlough 80% of their staff.
It appears 2 Chainz was amenable to re-opening after Georgia issued new guidelines allowing restaurants to re-open, limiting dine-in service to 10 patrons per table and per 300 square feet of public space. Unfortunately, the restaurant’s holiday party plan wasn’t conducive to social distancing, causing the shutdown and likely a lot more trouble than it was worth.
You can see photos and videos on Escobar’s Instagram Story.