(ST. LOUIS) Some St. Louis County restaurant owners are legally challenging County Executive Sam Page's recent order halting inside dining.
KMOX's Maria Keena talked with one of those restaurateurs .
Bartolino's South owner Michael Saracino tells K-M-O-X there are dozens of other restaurants involved, but he's now the face of the legal action after a face book posting. "We just have legal advice, as of now the attorney has been hired, we're going to be requesting a temporary restraining order against the restrictions and then go from there. So, this is not a Bartolino's lawsuit against St. Louis County, this is a, you know we happen to start, you know, unified effort with all of our fellow restaurants owners."
Saracino says the litigation is to right a wrong, and adds, while he has the utmost respect for the pandemic and those who have died, he feels restaurants are being vilified unjustly.
Saracino says with the holidays approaching, the new restrictions will not only hurt the restaurants, but the employees too, and he says that's what they are fighting for.
During the first lockdown, Saracino says there was supplemental unemployment compensation and the paycheck protection program for employers, but that money is not there now. "There's no other government subsidies that are available out there that would help us get through this period."
Saracino says his big concern is that surrounding counties, St. Charles, Jefferson and St. Louis City can still have inside service. He adds if it were metropolitan wide he wouldn't be having this conversation. "But it seems to me that the other leaders around aren't in agreement with Mr. Page."