Fiddleheads Café in Mendocino has a promotion going on that's causing quite a stir. A sign in the window of the cafe reads:
“Throw your mask(s) in our trash bin and receive 50% off your order.”
The owner of the cafe, Chris Castleman, has been fined $10,000 for failing to comply with the county’s face covering mandate. He wrote a letter to the community last year:
I respect everyone who has been taking actions over the past few months to protect their family, friends, coworkers, and the community. But protecting our health does not just end with COVID-19. There are serious negative effects of an economic shutdown and lack of social interaction on a person’s mental well being. Depression, suicide, child abuse, domestic abuse, substance abuse, etc. These sometimes permanent consequences have been researched and documented for decades.
I will not stop cooking meals for my community.
I will not cover my business in plexiglass and plastic tarps.
I will go to the beach with my dog.
I will hang out with my friends at the park.
I will give handshakes to strangers.
And I will never be forced to hide my smile.
Do not criminalize normal human behavior.
Yelp has since put a disclaimer on the Fiddleheads Cafe’s page because of social activity revolving around it.