HERRIN (WSIL) -- A Facebook post from a Herrin restaurant owner sparked a controversy after he announced Thursday he would open up for dine-in business Friday, and that is just what he did.
"And at 7 a.m. the health department called, and (asked) me that, if I would voluntarily stop seating people," said Newman & Company owner Robert Newman. He said he refused, "And then he said he would pull my state license, which I don't know if he can legally do. I mean we're all in this together. I'm not being hateful to anybody. We're gonna check into it and see what can actually legally be done, and if I can open my dining room up legally, I'm going to go ahead and do it."
Fans of Newman drove hours in support. Some patrons were allowed to dine in while others took their orders to go. Wes Shaerrod drove from Harrisburg and was the first in the door.
"As we were making our order, the health department told him he couldn't have inside dining, so we took ours to go," said Shaerrod.
Hours later, with most tables blocked off from customers, Newman did allow several diners to eat inside, with Katelyn Croteau being one of them.
"I think we've taken the right precautions for long enough, and I think it's time to start getting back to normal," said Croteau. "I think people are tired of being scared. I think the worst is past, and it's time to start getting back to normal."
Newman says he will continue fighting to reopen his dining room, adding that the situation is currently in "uncharted territory."
"People are telling us something different every single day, and I felt like today I wanted to make a stand, not just for me, but for all small businesses in Illinois," said Newman. "Because somebody has to stand up, and take our state back and open our business, because we're starving out here."
News 3 reached out to the Franklin-Williamson Bi-County Health Department for comment on this story.
They issued a statement saying:
"Franklin-Williamson Bi-County Health Department has reached out to IDPH for guidance and it has been suggested that we follow Joint Committee on Administrative Rules Administrative Code Tittle 77 Section 690.1330 Order and Procedure for Isolation, Quarantine and Closure and Executive Order. That is what Bi-County will follow."
