EXCLUSIVE: Milwaukee Restaurant Operator Championing Mask Requirement Has Extensive List Of Health Code Violations
By Mark Belling, WISN-AM
A number of prominent Milwaukee restaurant operators are asking the city to require the wearing of masks at all public places, even though there is nothing that is preventing these operators from doing it on their own now.
One of the leaders of the movement, however, may have bigger public health issues than COVID. The Tandem, a much-praised restaurant at 18th and Fond du Lac, owned by Caitlin Cullen, was cited for eleven separate violations of city health rules at its inspection in February.
You can see the report HERE.
The long list of violations included storing a bag of onions a floor in the basement and a filthy ice machine, also in the basement. Cullen has been one of the most vocal advocates of requiring masks at all bars and restaurants in the city. Many of the other operators on the list have health violations of their own, including Ward’s House of Prime, Colectivo Coffee and Comet Café.
The Comet, co-owned by outspoken liberal Leslie Montemurro, is also calling for a mask rule and has occasionally posted signs banning police officers from eating at the restaurant. Yet Montemurro’s place also has a juicy health code write-up including a notice for having toxic chemicals in a food prep area.
These are the restaurant operators that think you have to be required to wear a mask to be safe. They might spend more time cleaning their own establishments before trying to pass rules that affect their competitors.
Mark Belling
July 6
