2 Chainz's Atlanta Restaurant Shut Down Briefly For Violating COVID-19 Guidelines

Caption

Escobar Restaurants & Tapas co-owned by Atlanta rapper 2 Chainz was shutdown by police late Sunday night for violating the state's COVID-19 guidelines.

An Atlanta restaurant and bar co-owned by rapper 2 Chainz was temporarily closed by Georgia State Police and the Department of Public Safety on Sunday, May 24, for violating the state’s COVID-19 guidelines.

Escobar Restaurant & Tapas was issued a warning by officers early Sunday morning for not any enforcing social distancing and having more than 10 patrons per 300 square feet, according to the police report obtained by GPB News. The officers returned late Sunday night after receiving a second report that Escobar continued violating the same guidelines and shut the establishment down after the second visit.

Before the restaurant was closed, photos and videos from the establishment’s Instagram account showed the restaurant full of customers smoking hookah and sitting close together at tables and the bar, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

However, Escobar announced on its Instagram page late Tuesday evening that they are open for dine-in eating and takeout orders. The sudden turn of events for the restaurant happened the night before Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced that Atlanta is in the beginning of Phase Two of her Five-phase plan to reopen the city.

RELATED: A Pound Of Flour To Go? Restaurants Are Selling Groceries Now

Typically, if a restaurant appears to be violating any COVID-19 guidelines, the Department of Health will investigate the complaint.

“If DPH receives a complaint about a facility not adhering to the guidelines, a health inspector will visit the facility to verify the complaint,” said DPH spokeswoman Nancy Nydam in an interview with the AJC. “If guidelines are not being followed, the inspector will provide education on what steps must be followed. If the facility continues to disregard the guidelines, Public Safety may be called in to assist.”

The only other restaurant that was closed by the state police was Rocco’s Pub in Jasper about a month ago, Nydam told GPB News.

2 Chainz, whose real name is Tauheed Epps, and co-owner Mychel “Snoop” Dillard originally planned to keep the restaurant closed in late April and use the inventory to feed the homeless and provide meals to residents around the neighborhood. They reversed their decision and reopened Escobar earlier this month, just before Gov. Brian Kemp announced revised safety guidelines for restaurants the AJC also reported.

The new guidelines increased the maximum table size from six to 10 people and permitted 10 people per 300 square feet of public space; the guideline Escobar failed to follow when police closed the restaurant.

Neither owner nor a representative of Escobar was available for comment when GPB asked about the Sunday incident.