About 40 MN Restaurants Opened Illegally Wednesday: AG

TWIN CITIES, MN — State authorities say about 40 restaurants opened Wednesday in defiance of Gov. Tim Walz's executive order related to the coronavirus. Many other business owners that promised to defy Walz's order either backed out or aren't actually restricted by the governor's order.

The effort was organized by a group called the "ReOpen Minnesota Coalition." On Tuesday, the group shared a list of businesses that planned to open Wednesday.

"Of a list of approximately 150 establishments supposedly open today in violation of Executive Order 20-99, approximately 40 percent can already legally operate, do not in fact intend to violate the executive order, or are anonymous," Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison's office said in a news release.

"Of the remaining number, approximately 60 are bars and restaurants. Of those, approximately 20 have represented to the Attorney General’s office that they are in fact complying with the executive order and are not open for on-premises service. The Attorney General’s office is still ascertaining the intentions of or investigating the remainder. In only a small handful of instances thus far has the Attorney General’s office determined that an establishment is openly or defiantly violating Executive Order 20-99."

Police say they visited several bars and restaurants on the list but found them to be closed Wednesday, including:

• Pizza Depot, Becker
• Andy's Sports Bar, Red Wing
• Carbone's, Cottage Grove
• Charley's, Mankato

Lakeville, Princeton Bars Face Loss Of Liquor Licenses

Two Minnesota bars face a 60-day suspension of their liquor licenses for "blatantly violating" Executive Order 20-99, according to the Minnesota Department of Safety's alcohol enforcement division.

Read more: Lakeville, Princeton Bars Face Loss Of Liquor Licenses

The ReOpen Minnesota Coalition did not immediately respond to Patch's request for comment.