LA Burger Restaurant Says Customers Are Harassing Staff Over Mask Policy | Eater LA
"At this Silver Lake burger shop I describe staff confronting an increasingly aggressive customer base during the coronavirus pandemic: security-camera footage allegedly shows patrons refusing to wear masks despite a mandate, swearing at and insulting employees, pushing over furniture, making physical threats, and using foul and racist language, and the restaurant says it will now deny service and refund or remove anyone who won't follow its coronavirus guidelines. Owner Shawn Nee says entitlement and a lack of courtesy have led to escalating incidents; the shop is considering hiring security and talking with the building owner about closing the front door and installing a built-in takeout window to limit customer access to staff. Even after seven years—starting from a backyard, then pop-ups, and now a permanent location—the hype around the burgers remains: they are stripped back to basics (beef patty, ketchup, mustard, cheese, pickles, and onion) and, to me, amount to the platonic ideal of a smash burger." - Farley Elliott
