© Robert F. Bukaty / APRick Savage, owner of Sunday River Brewing Company, talks with customers at his restaurant after he defied an executive order that prohibited gatherings of 10 or more people and opened his establishment during the coronavirus pandemic on Friday.
But by the end of the day, Savage announced that Sunday River Brewing Co. in Bethel would once again close "until further notice" after the state revoked his health licenses.
More than 150 people had lined up to eat at the restaurant by mid-afternoon Friday as the eatery reopened despite orders from Gov. Janet Mills, according to the Portland Press Herald.
"I can't tell them where to stand and what to do," Savage told the Bangor Daily News of his customers, many of whom were not observing guidelines for social distancing by standing 6 feet apart as they waited to get into the restaurant. "We're America. If they want to isolate, they can isolate."
Savage made an appearance on Fox News's "Tucker Carlson Tonight" the day before, criticizing the governor's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and encouraging other businesses to follow his lead in defying orders to stay closed.
At one point during the interview, Savage offered up what he said was Mill's cellphone number and encouraged viewers to call her directly and dared state officials to take him to court.
Comment:
Savage isn't the only business owner defying the authorities. Some California businesses are doing the same: