Judge denies motion by restaurants to lift Minneapolis vaccine mandate

A judge has denied a group of restaurants' request to lift a vaccine mandate in place for Minneapolis, which requires the businesses to check vaccine cards.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A judge has denied a group of restaurants' request to lift a vaccine mandate in place for Minneapolis, which requires the businesses to check vaccine cards.

In documents filed on Friday, the judge denied a temporary restraining order requested by the restaurants to lift the order.

In the court papers, the restaurants argued they saw a significant drop in net sales for the first weekend the mandate was in effect. However, in her order, the judge argued the restaurants failed to prove the drop in sales was directly from the mandate The judge also felt the requirement would be no different from checking identifications.

Minneapolis, Mayor Frey sued over vaccine mandate

Multiple Minneapolis restaurants have banded together to sue the City of Minneapolis and Mayor Jacob Frey, alleging the recently imposed vaccine requirement mandate overreached authority.

At the same time, the judge found public health concerns outweighed any damage from the mandate.

In a statement, Minneapolis City Attorney Jim Rowader wrote: "The City is pleased with Judge Miller’s decision in this case. At the end of the day, the City has been and continues to be focused on helping everyone in our community – residents and businesses – safely navigate this incredibly challenging time."

The mandate requires customers to provide proof of vaccination or a recent COVID-19 negative test.

The restaurants involved in the lawsuit include Smack Shack, the Gay 90s, Sneaky Pete's Wild Greg's Saloon, and Jimmy John's.

Greg Urban, owner of Wild Greg's, provided the following statement to FOX 9: "The city of Minneapolis continues to follow the political science that has turned a vibrant and prosperous city into a ghost town. Although the TRO was not granted the lawsuit will continue and we believe we will be successful in overturning this example of government overreach."