Restaurants & Bars
Gov. Murphy To Oakland Restaurant: 'Are You Kidding Me?'
Oakland's Portobello is the latest restaurant in hot water after photos circulated of a largely maskless, over capacity gathering last week.
OAKLAND, NJ — Governor Phil Murphy had a very simple question for Oakland's Portobello restaurant:
"Are you kidding me?"
Murphy levied the comment during a Wednesday news conference as a photo of a largely maskless, over capacity gathering at the Oakland restaurant was showing on the screen behind him.
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He urged anyone in attendance during the night in question to get tested for the coronavirus.
This is Portobello, an outdoor bar in Bergen County, last Wednesday. No masks. No social distancing. No personal responsibility. The owners were cited for noncompliance, and municipal officials revoked their outdoor dining permits after 4:00 PM for the next 30 days. Good. pic.twitter.com/5iZMBkmbIw
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) December 2, 2020
Murphy's moment of scorn is perhaps the least of the restaurant's problems.
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On Monday, municipal officials handed the restaurant a 30-day suspension of outdoor dining activities after 4 p.m., Northjersey.com reports, and Murphy confirmed.
According to the Northjersey.com report, restaurant leadership said a "tidal wave" of customers overwhelmed their security during the pre-Thanksgiving night.
Still, State Police Col. Patrick J. Callahan confirmed Wednesday that the restaurant was in violation of state COVID-19 regulations, and was also cited for maintaining a nuisance.
Murphy praised town officials for the swift decision.
"We will not tolerate knucklehead behavior like this, that puts people at risk," he said.
The governor added that the proverbial bad apples in New Jersey's restaurant scene are giving a "black eye" to the industry as a whole, as they continue to navigate the coronavirus pandemic.
Despite an "overwhelming number of restaurant owners are playing by the rules," there are also a number of recent examples which articulate his point.
In Little Falls, Chela's Restaurant & Bar was singled out during a recent news conference after they were cited for not complying with COVID-19 protocols.
Nine coronavirus cases were also recently linked to staff at Leggetts in Manasquan, according to the State Department of Health.
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