ELGIN, Texas — Going against the grain, a Texas bar owner is making it clear he does not want people wearing masks in his establishment.
Liberty Tree Tavern owner Kevin Smith said he's following social distancing guidelines in his bar, so the masks are unnecessary. He said if people feel they should wear a mask to go out, they should stay at home instead.
Anyone going to the bar will be greeted with a sign on the outside: "Due to our concerns for our customers, if they FEEL (not think), that they need to wear a mask, they should stay home until they FEEL that it's safe to be in public without one. Sorry, No Mask Allowed."
Elgin resident Ross Owens agreed with the explanation. Speaking about people wearing masks in public, he said they're taking an unnecessary risk.
"They're taking chances they don't need to take, especially if they're in public service," he said.
The sign on the door also said the bar is operating at 25 percent capacity until further notice, and asked patrons to maintain 6 feet of distance between parties.
Liberty Tree Tavern reshared KXAN's story on Facebook Wednesday. In the comments, a representative from the bar responded to someone and said "It is up to the person if he/she would like to wear one. We will allow if they really want to wear one."
The bar also responded to another comment and said "It was not intended to be a publicity stunt."
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