A coffee shop in central Kentucky received a flood of support on Wednesday after its owner refused to obey state and county orders under the guise of COVID-19.
According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, the line of customers “stretched out the door” at times and at least one customer waited an hour.
“Haven’t tasted the coffee yet but it smells like freedom in here,” tweeted Jimmy Hazlett from the scene. “Love this with all my heart.”
Brewed in Lexington Ky. Haven’t tasted the coffee yet but it smells like freedom in here. Love this with all my heart. #resist pic.twitter.com/SJr8hMi0hx
— Jimmy Hazlett (@hazlett_jimmy) November 25, 2020
Officials from the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department had ordered the Brewed coffee shop to close on Tuesday for refusing to discontinue in-person dining, a violation of a previous statewide emergency order issued by Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear last week.
What’s the worst – jail…
But Andrew Cooperrider, who owns the establishment, chose to continue operating as normal instead.
“I asked what would happen if I keep serving,” Cooperrider told The Herald-Leader, adding that the health inspectors did not answer his question.
“The worst that could happen is we close…I go to jail for a bit,” he said. “What am I facing now, locked up inside my house with losing my business…I have more to gain by resisting than I do to comply.”
Word of the controversy began to circulate throughout the region after the shop’s Facebook page posted an image of the shutdown notice with the caption, “Untill (sic) we are pulled out in handcuffs you can come to get your coffee at Brewed.”
On Wednesday afternoon, Brewed told its social media followers that it had run out of food and had not anticipated such “overwhelming support.” The Kentucky Alcohol Beverage Control later issued an emergency license suspension for the shop.
“This was expected,” a post on Brewed’s Facebook page read, adding, “We didn’t even order beer this week.”
Updated: #Lexington coffee shop loses alcohol license after refusing to follow #COVID19 rules https://t.co/930F1EkqeH pic.twitter.com/yBr2PsNrf6
— Lexington Herald-Leader (@heraldleader) November 25, 2020
Another post indicated the shop would be closed on Thanksgiving but vowed to open again on Friday.
Now, the despots will go after them criminally!
On Thanksgiving, the Kentucky despots decided they allowed their shop is “permitting the premises to become disorderly.”
Lockdowns aren’t working. They don’t stop the virus and the damage done to economies, small businesses, and Americans is incalculable.
These city and state leaders are tyrants and this is tyranny. Lockdowns don’t follow science.
Update: The state found that the coffee shop violated Kentucky statute “by permitting the premises to become disorderly,” which included threatening behavior. #Lexington #COVID19 https://t.co/pCRaLrNF47
— Lexington Herald-Leader (@heraldleader) November 26, 2020
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