INDIANAPOLIS — A popular downtown restaurant and music venue is coming under fire for allegedly not enforcing face masks and social distancing at an outdoor concert Friday night.
Video posted on Facebook shows groups of people at the Rathskeller's Biergarten dancing and standing close together, seemingly in violation of Marion County's public health mandate related to COVID-19 which requires social distancing and other precautions.
Marty Bacon, who posted the video, said of the Rathskeller's manager, "he is jeopardizing every live music venue (in Marion County) Hi-Fi, the Chatterbox, the Jazz Kitchen and the Vogue."
Bacon is general manger of the Slippery Noodle, the state's oldest bar and for years a popular blues venue. It's been closed for five months because of COVID-19 and just reopened Thursday.
After seeing the video, Bacon wrote, "Hey Rathskeller, get your (blank) together. We all need to be on the same page."
"The city has given us the parameters we need to work within, 50 percent capacity, a six-foot distance from tables or face masks and in this video none of that is happening," Bacon said.
13News reached out to Rathskeller operator Dan McMichael, but as of late afternoon had yet to hear back. McMichael leases the Rathskeller space from the Athenaeum Foundation.
Foundation President Craig Mince said in a statement:
"We've reached out to the Rathskeller and communicated our concerns. As with all Athenaeum tenants, we expect the Rathskeller to follow public health mandates, particularly when we are trying to collectively navigate an unprecedented pandemic."
Bacon's Facebook page generated a lot of replies, most agreeing with him.
The comments included, "unbelievable," "I totally agree with you," and "be smart or mask up. Not rocket science."
But there was also this reply: "you all need to quit crying. If people choose not to wear a mask that's their choice. If you don't like it LEAVE."
Bacon said it's frustrating "that for the first time in my 30 years, we can do everything right, follow every rule and I can still get shut down (because of) someone else."
A spokesman for the Marion County Public Health Department said they weren't aware of any complaints against the Rathskeller and were looking into it.