Rebellious Roseville restaurant complies as coronavirus curfew closes Sacramento nightlife
As a 10 p.m. curfew in California’s purple-tiered counties took effect Saturday, a Roseville restaurateur said he would be filing suit against Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration after threatening to stay open late.
Matthew Oliver of Roseville wine bar and restaurant House of Oliver initially said after Newsom’s Thursday order — requiring the majority of Californians to stop nonessential activities at night, a move intended to slow the spread of coronavirus as cases surge throughout the state — that he would be running the restaurant past 10 p.m. as a sign of protest against the curfew.
In a video posted to House of Oliver’s Facebook account, Oliver said that his plans for a late-night “Newsom hour” were thwarted after an agent from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control visited him and threatened action against the restaurant if it failed to adhere to state guidelines.
The curfew forbids bars and restaurants from continuing in-person dining past 10 p.m., although drive-thru and takeout are still allowed.
The ABC has occasionally threatened to levy fines or revoke liquor licenses from bars and restaurants that fail to comply with executive orders regarding the coronavirus pandemic, a tactic that has usually promptly corrected defiant businesses eager to stay open amid particularly trying economic circumstances.
House of Oliver, described by Oliver as “the poster child for freedom, for rights, for the American way,” was originally planning to stay open late Saturday as an explicitly political statement.
“It’s about the ability as a grown adult not to have a curfew anymore,” Oliver said in a video uploaded Thursday afternoon. “We are willing to do our part to keep you healthy and informed — but only after 10 o’clock.”
Oliver, who is the lead pastor at The Family Church, also said he would be holding an in-person, mask-optional service Sunday morning. Placer County was moved into the purple tier on Monday, which limits worship to outdoor-only services.
Oliver’s rebellious, tongue-in-cheek demeanor had evidently changed by Saturday afternoon, when he uploaded another video to social media, telling patrons that the ABC stopped by to reprimand him and that he was forced to change plans.
“The enemy, our governor, is doing all he can to put small businesses out of business,” Oliver said. “The ABC did come out to House of Oliver last night. ... We were informed this morning that they are moving forward to take action against House of Oliver.”
In response, he said attorneys for the restaurant were working to file a lawsuit against Newsom’s administration, but added that ”you will see some changes” at House of Oliver.
“Our team will be wearing face coverings — those that do not have medical exemptions,” Oliver said. “We cannot ask any of our guests to wear face coverings if you have a medical exemption. Or if you’re not wearing a face covering, we know that it is because you have a medical exemption.”
He added that the restaurant’s last call would be before 10 p.m.
True to his word, House of Oliver closed at the time of the curfew. The restaurant was packed during the final hour of service, but as 10 p.m. approached, the crowd thinned out and patrons began to disperse. Many among them were not seen wearing masks.
A table set up outside the restaurant in the Renaissance Creek shopping center property sported a sign that read ‘impeach Newsom.’ Oliver was not at the restaurant at closing and was not available for comment.
Curfew around the region
Elsewhere in the Sacramento region, streets remained mostly quiet as the clock struck 10. The most popular Saturday night hot spots were noticeably empty.
Old Sacramento was practically a ghost town, and the corridors on R and K street were deserted, as was the Downtown Commons. The vast majority of businesses, it seemed, had followed the curfew orders, and while a few individual people were seen walking around Sacramento — plus one group hanging around in front of the downtown ice rink — most of the city was startlingly silent.
Meanwhile, in Fair Oaks, a group of protesters remained gathered near Newsom’s home past the curfew, but their numbers were small and they appeared peaceful.
ABC agents out in force
Agents with the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control were out in force Saturday night to ensure compliance at establishments throughout California.
Department spokesman John Carr said in an email to The Sacramento Bee that compliance on the first night of the curfew was high.
“ABC agents will continue to visit ABC licensed businesses and will be checking on compliance with health orders including the limited stay at home order in those counties where it is applicable. The department prefers education over enforcement when making site visits,” Carr wrote. “If ABC receives a complaint then agents will follow up. Agents try to resolve any concerns with an in person visit and conversation. Most businesses have complied when we have made visits.”
According to Carr, ABC agents have made more than 97,000 visits to establishments since July 1 in response to possible COVID-19 infractions. From those, only 146 citations have been made for health order violations.
Protests elsewhere in California
In Fresno, several dozen protesters amassed on a street corner to intentionally violate the curfew.
“I will go where I please, anytime I please, and there’s nothing anybody can do about that,” protest organizer Tom Hardin told The Fresno Bee. “They can tell me and give me orders. It doesn’t mean I have to comply.”
Protesters at the demonstration, some waving yellow Gadsden flags and slogan banners, questioned the efficacy of the curfew. Others simply felt their personal liberties were being infringed upon.
“The fact is that people are fed up,” Hardin said. “We’re tired of being locked up in our homes. We’re tired of our children not going to school and not having the childhood we had ... We have all the rights of being a U.S. citizen. We will not comply to any of (Newsom’s) orders.”
The group stood out for about an hour past curfew before breaking up.
In Orange County’s Huntington Beach, the Los Angeles Times reported that a larger demonstration of about 200 was held at a seaside pier.
Crowds of demonstrators bearing Trump 2020 flags, American flags and wearing ‘make America great again’ caps gathered to make themselves heard.
“I think there are too many restrictions, as is,” one attendee told local CBS news station KCAL 9. “Curfews are just a little too far.”
“I think we’ve tried lots of tools throughout the past nine months and none have really worked,” another told the station. “This one is certainly less restrictive than the other ones, which leads me to believe that it’s probably not going to do much.”
The Los Angeles Times interviewed a Huntington Beach police lieutenant who said that the protest was peaceful, so officers did not disperse the late-night crowd.
This story was originally published November 21, 2020 at 11:38 PM.
