Hastings Bar Hit with $7,000 Fine for Alleged Mask Violation
The Busted Nut Bar & Grill in downtown Hastings has been charged with a $7,000 fine by the Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The citation, which states that the restaurant failed to take COVID-19 related precautions, was issued after two inspectors visited the establishment. Although the citation does not state with specificity where the bar’s precautions failed, the owner’s stated that the citation was due to a bartender wearing a plastic face shield rather than a face mask. The bar owner has already contested the citation, saying that the fine is unfair and excessive.
A spokesperson for the Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Administration stated that the citation involves a referral to the agency regarding the bar’s potentially unsafe or unhealthful working conditions. As the case is still open, the spokesperson was unable to be more specific about the referral or the working conditions in question.
The bar owner says that, although the applicable business requirements are ever-changing, she has done her best to comply with all state mandates and does believe that the bartender’s face shield was compliant. While the case is ongoing, the bar and its owner have already received a substantial amount of support from the community, through both financial and emotional means. The bar established a GoFundMe page which has raised more than $12,600 from almost 200 donors. The bar owner says that any unused funds will be donated to other businesses and charities in a similar situation.
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