NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana — A video posted to Twitter shows a large, maskless crowd at the Out of Bounds Bar and Grill in Metairie, allegedly on Friday night.
Officials say what it shows is out of line during Phase 3.
“I guess my reaction is just complete disappointment,” Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng said of her response to viewing it.
Lee Sheng said the video frustrates her.
“This night at this location, seems like … complete disregard for any COVID rule or any idea that COVID was even in the community,” she said.
The Louisiana state Fire Marshal’s Office said it visited Out of Bounds on Sunday night to follow-up on a complaint.
The office said Out of Bounds “was in compliance with the COVID-19 mitigation measures for a restaurant” during that visit.
Out of Bounds has fewer restrictions than a standard bar since it has a restaurant permit, but those regulations say “customers must be seated for table service and stay seated.”
Barth Melius Jr., who owns Out of Bounds, questioned if the video was from Friday.
“You don’t know where it was taken. It’s all hearsay of who took it and when it was taken. I think it’s pretty irresponsible,” he said.
One customer appears to have a face covering on, and another appears to have a mask under his chin.
Melius said his staff and customers are following Phase 3 guidelines.
“We’ve been inspected by the fire marshal and everything is fine,” he said.
The Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control said it cited the bar for improper conduct based upon what the video shows.
The state fire marshal’s office says it’ll be back at Out of Bounds on Tuesday for a regular inspection.
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