When Georgia’s governor allowed for restaurants and other businesses to re-open earlier this month, the understanding was that those businesses would follow strict safety guidelines to prevent a resurgence of COVID-19 cases. However, as we’ve seen in other states that pushed to re-open businesses, the risks weren’t worth the rewards – especially for 2 Chainz, whose Escobar Restaurant was ordered to close by Georgia authorities after throwing a raucous party for Memorial Day.
What We Know:
- According to TMZ, Georgia State Police shut the restaurant down after noticing “the location was rather loud, busy, and occupied to be operating at a restaurant at that time of night”. The restaurant’s Instagram account featured videos showing that it was packed to capacity with a line out front, as attendees to its Memorial Day Weekend party danced, smoked hookah, and ordered bottle service. The police spoke to the manager, advising them that the restaurant was “violating executive orders regarding protocol issued due to COVID-19”.
- “When I entered the establishment, the entire facility was full of patrons, shoulder to shoulder, and was unable to enter safely,” the Department of Public Safety officer wrote in the incident report on the night he issued the restaurant a warning. The next night, DPS said it received another social distancing complaint for Escobar. The on-duty manager, Rasheed Gaines, had security make everyone leave, and the DPS officer cited Gaines for violating the state’s executive order.
- Escobar Restaurant and Tapas owned by Tauheed “2 Chainz” Epps and Mychel “Snoop” Dillard is located in Atlanta’s Castleberry Hills neighborhood near Mercedes-Benz Stadium and State Farm Arena.
- It appears 2 Chainz was amenable to re-opening after Georgia issued new guidelines allowing restaurants to re-open, limiting dine-in service to 10 patrons per table and per 300 square feet of public space. Unfortunately, the restaurants holiday party plan was not conducive to social distancing, causing the shutdown and likely a lot more trouble than it was worth.
A representative for the restaurant said 2 Chainz and Dillard were not commenting on the incident with police.
