Didn’t Get The Vaccine? ‘Refrain From Visiting,’ Restaurant Says

HOLMES BEACH, FL — With the surge in COVID-19 cases throughout the state, the owners of Beach Bistro in Holmes Beach want all diners to get vaccinated before coming to visit their Anna Maria Island restaurant.

“Beach Bistro will now request its patrons to be vaccinated, given the dangerous surging of delta coronavirus and the Beach Bistro’s deep commitment to safety for both staff and guests,” the restaurant said in a news release.

Owners Sean Murphy and Susan Timmins added that “to complete a realistic safety protocol for staff and guests, we now believe the next necessary step is to ask our patrons to refrain from visiting unless they have been fully vaccinated.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis banned so-called vaccine passports in Florida by executive order in the spring and made it illegal for businesses to ask customers about their vaccine status.

Timmins told Patch by email that the restaurant’s staff won’t ask for proof of vaccination.

“To clarify, we're not asking for paper documentation or proof of vaccination, as that is not permitted in Florida at this time," she wrote. "We are asking people if they've been vaccinated and trusting their honesty.”

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Since the start of the pandemic, Beach Bistro said it has worked hard to make the restaurant safe for diners. The restaurant’s staff is fully vaccinated and also regularly gets tested on-site by workers from Ellenton Urgent Care, the restaurant said.

The Zagat-rated restaurant has taken other steps to slow the spread of coronavirus as well.

When closed last summer, Beach Bistro “spent six months completely renovating their HVAC system to provide for HEPA filtration, ionization and ultraviolet purification of the bistro’s air combined with a powerful system of ventilation and outside air exchange in keeping with directives from the Harvard School of Public Health,” the news release said.

The restaurant also purchased two state-of-the-art Danish air purification units.