Governor Greg Abbott announced on March 2 that he was withdrawing the mandate from the mask. A week later, companies of all types were able to open 100% of the capacity. In addition, people who decide not to wear masks cannot be punished by law, says Abbott’s mandate.
Businesses in Texas have now become something of a battlefield for wearing masks. There is nothing – legally – telling people that they have to wear a mask inside. Private companies, however, may still require masks at their discretion.
For owners of companies like LaCombe, who just want to keep their employees and customers safe, they tell CNN that they have received malicious calls from strangers and some have even received death threats.
“It is a difficult situation, but we have to stay strong,” said LaCombe.
One owner said he received threats
Mike Nguyen, owner of the Noodle Tree restaurant in San Antonio, told CNN that he is mentally, physically and emotionally drained.
He said he made 20 reports of harassment and threat last week. And it’s not just about the mask’s mandates.
Nguyen also told CNN that someone called him on Thursday, gave his home address and said they were coming.
“You could say the hate in the voice and the anger in it that it was not something like someone just trying to cheat or play. It was real. They were serious, ”he said.
His employees were also harassed, enduring insults and being insulted by customers.
Nguyen told CNN that he does not believe the governor has done enough, despite Abbott announcing that there is no place for harassment and vandalism.
“So, all these things that are happening, everything that is done for those who disagree with what I said, you have proved that I am right,” said Nguyen. “I said it was going to get worse. I said it was going to cause a confrontation and everything happened, you know? And it got to that point ”.
However, Nguyen says he does not resent the governor for suspending the mask’s mandate.
“If something happens, the blood is on your hands,” he said.
‘We are doing something right’
“It has all been just social media and phones and we hope it stays that way,” he said.
On Monday, LaCombe said he did not have to charge anyone a surcharge.
“If it is necessary for someone to be adamant about not wearing a face mask, we will simply leave the restaurant,” he said. “Our main business decision was to let people know that we are safe.”
This does not prevent people from calling, to tell LaCombe and its employees that they cannot demand the use of a mask.
“By law, they don’t have to wear a mask. So we are, in the context, infringing on their freedom,” said LaCombe. “And I’m sorry, I’m not the type that goes around to infringe on anyone’s freedom, but your freedom is whether you want to get in here or not. That’s your freedom.”
And your response to people who say they are driving customers away?
“Well, these are the customers we don’t want in our cafeteria,” he said. “We want people who believe in security and are looking for a safe place to go.”
LaCombe said that, weeks ago, the constant phone calls upset his wife and made him fear he would go to work. Since then, however, he has said he looks forward to the phone calls.
“We have been open since the beginning of the pandemic,” he said. “We haven’t had a single virus outbreak or virus reaction in our cafeteria since we opened and we have employees who haven’t been vaccinated, so we’re doing something right.”
CNN’s Natasha Chen, Ashley Killough, Hollie Silverman, David Williams and Holly Yan contributed to this report.