[ad_1]
A couple on a road trip to the South Island say they were not allowed into Biggie’s Pizza for a drink once they revealed they were coming from Auckland, despite having left the region more than two weeks ago.
The disgruntled prospective diner and her partner were shocked and angered by the general refusal, saying they had no ties to any Covid cases and that they did not pose a health risk.
But the Stuart St restaurant is unapologetic for its hard-line stance of banning customers, saying it has the right to turn customers away to protect staff and business.
The restaurant’s owner, Tacey Millard, said there was no blanket ban on Auckland people.
Staff would ask customers questions about things like their recent travel history and symptoms.
Depending on their responses and their attitude, a decision would be made on whether to let them into the facility, he said.
The couple in question were not happy with the questions they were asked and the restaurant manager decided not to let them in.
Since news of the problem broke, the restaurant had been receiving false reviews and negative comments online, he said.
As long as companies don’t discriminate against people on the basis of race or age, they can choose who they allow into their facilities, he said.
During the current Alert Level 2, it was a matter of taking “extreme precautions” in case a person with ties to Auckland, where community broadcasting was ongoing, brought Covid to their facility.
The 27-year-old, who had been on the South Island since the beginning of the month, said she was surprised when staff questioned her about recent trips.
Questions included whether the couple had been to Auckland.
“We said ‘Yes’. They asked us when was the last time we were there and we told them September 1.”
At the time, they were denied entry.
The couple had not felt bad during their vacation in the south.
The woman, who did not want to be identified, said she could not believe that she was being subjected to this level of discrimination.
“We’ve been traveling the South Island, trying to support local businesses, and everyone has been very welcoming, apart from this bar.
“We were so shocked and angry that they treated us this way and it’s not good enough,” he said.
But Millard said the ban was about protecting people in the midst of a pandemic.
“We are taking extreme precautions and we have the right to put people out of business in these situations,” Aucklander responded to discontent on Facebook.
“If you did indeed have the virus, it could put us completely out of commission, which is detrimental to a small business like ours.”
