Captain's Quarters owner plans to insist patrons wear masks after governor's order

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville-area businesses are moving to adapt to an order requiring all Kentucky residents to wear masks in most public places that takes effect at 5 p.m. Friday.

Owners of Captain's Quarters Riverside Grille off River Road in Prospect said they plan to follow the order and will insist that all customers wear masks. But they're asking guests to remember that employees aren't making the rules, just enforcing them.

"I think the message I want to get across to my customers is, 'Don't take it out on my staff. We're just following the rules of the state, and it's not our fault,'" said Andrew Masterson, owner of the restaurant.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced the order Thursday and said anyone who leaves his or her house to go to the grocery store, a retail store, a restaurant, a bar or most other businesses will need a mask. That includes anyone standing outside waiting to get in.

While the Kentucky Restaurant Association says most restaurants and customers have already been wearing them, there will be those who don't want to comply.

Masterson said patrons of Captain's Quarters have had mixed responses since announcing that they will follow the order. In the past several weeks, they have posted signs encouraging guests to wear masks, but many never did, he said.

He said his restaurant will now insist on it. He's even going to provide additional training for employees so they know how to handle the situation if a customer refuses.

Beshear said local health departments will be in charge of enforcing the rules, and representatives of the Louisville Metro Public Health Department said they're still developing plans to enforce the order.

"It is a private business," Masterson said. "We can insist that guests do it, and I think we will stick with it whether it's overturned or not."

Greater Louisville Inc's President and CEO Sarah Davasher-Wisdom spoke to the governor's office Friday morning about several unanswered questions. The questions include how businesses handle a situation if the customer refuses, what happens if a situation becomes volatile, liability and penalties.

"We're going to help message the guidance once everything is out. We're going to encourage businesses to update their signage so that the order is enforced. Whether or not the authority is there is not really something that we're going to weigh in on. What we are going to say is that we know masks will keep down the rate of infection, and we think that's important for everyone to do," Davasher-Wisdom said.

The Kentucky Restaurant Association said this is another change to an already struggling industry, with 20 percent of restaurants expected to close. "Most operators say they're not making any kind of profit in 2020," says Stacy Roof, President and CEO of Kentucky Restaurant Association. "Be as compliant as you can to instill confidence with as many of your customers as you can so you can have them repeatedly coming back."

On Friday, the attorney general filed a motion to determine if the Governor's order follows state law.

On Thursday, a judge granted a state-wide temporary restraining order against some of Beshear's executive orders, but it's not yet clear what effect that will have on the mask mandate. The governor is appealing the ruling.

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