The San Francisco Department of Public Health ordered the In-N-Out to close last week because employees were not properly checking for customers’ vaccination documentation.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports, “Despite multiple warnings, In-N-Out employees continued to let customers into the restaurant without verifying their vaccination status since at least late-September.
The Department of Public Health said it asked In-N-Out to correct the violations multiple times since late September, after a complaint was filed with the city’s 3-1-1 service center line. After an initial visit on Sept. 24, health inspectors returned on Oct. 6 and found that the In-N-Out was still not enforcing the vaccine mandate. The public health department said it “attempted multiple times to bring the business into compliance with the health order” before shutting In-N-Out down last Thursday, Oct. 14.”
In-N-Out’s Chief Legal and Business Officer Arnie Wensinger fired back against the city in a written statement:
“We refuse to become the vaccination police for any government. It is unreasonable, invasive, and unsafe to force our restaurant associates to segregate customers into those who may be served and those who may not, whether based on the documentation they carry, or any other reason. We fiercely disagree with any government dictate that forces a private company to discriminate against customers who choose to patronize their business. This is clear governmental overreach and is intrusive, improper, and offensive.”