In the video, nearly every table is occupied, large groups of people are huddled waiting for their orders and a line of patrons are wrapped around the block.
“I was so disappointed that anybody would be so irresponsible and put their own business at risk of closure, with the indefinite closure for hazardous health conditions, that would jeopardize their patrons, probably even friends or loved ones of the employees and the owners,” Polis said.
“The most effective way to limit the suffering of our fellow Coloradans and ourselves and to get our economy back on track sooner rather than later … is we need to obey the public health orders that save lives and reduce the duration of this economic disruption.”
Owners wanted to make a statement
“I think that people want to work, they want to live,” Jesse Arellano told KCNC. “We live with danger every day. People go to war — that’s a risk. People drive every day — that’s a risk.”
Prior to their reopening the restaurant tweeted Saturday, “We are standing for America, small businesses, the Constitution and against the overreach of our governor in Colorado!!” CNN has reached out to the owner of C&C for comment.
Safer at Home order in place
The health department says they were forced to shut down the restaurant for in-house dining but will continue to stay in touch with the business.
“We will follow up with this restaurant to ensure that they, like other restaurants in the county, take appropriate steps to protect the public health, by limiting service to curbside and take-out service,” a spokesperson for the Tri-County Health Department said.
CNN’s Whitney Wild, Chris Boyette and Konstantin Toropin contributed to this report.