Petition supports Memphis eateries’ request
Association asks to see health department data
More than 1,000 people have signed an online petition supporting the Memphis Restaurant Association’s recent request for data used to make decisions and better communication from the Shelby County Health Department.
On Nov. 25, incoming Memphis Restaurant Association President Mike Miller sent a letter to Shelby County Health Department Executive Director Alisa Haushalter asking for better communication between the two entities. The letter also requested the health department share the data behind the decisions for the health directives.
The Change.org petition was created Friday and quickly garnered support on social media platforms like Facebook. As of 2:55 p.m. Monday, 1,059 people had signed it.
The petition states, “Restaurants cannot survive the winter under these unfair and uneven restrictions. The restaurant industry is willing to work with the Shelby County Health Department to create a plan of action, but are not able to if they do not know what the problem is. Transparency builds trust. We need your voice — please share sign the petition because ALL SHELBY COUNTY TAXPAYERS DESERVE TO SEE THE DATA.”
The organizers of the petition wish to remain anonymous, calling themselves “Concerned Taxpayers of Shelby County.” The petition is being submitted to the Shelby County Health Department, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris and the Shelby County Commission.
The Shelby County Health Department told The Commercial Appeal it was aware of the petition, but did not issue any comment or response.
The restaurant association’s letter was issued in response to Health Directive 15 issued on Nov. 20 that limited seating capacity, set a 10 p.m. closing time for all restaurants and said that diners at a table must be of the same household.
“The outpouring of angst from our members required action,” said Miller of the reason for the letter. The full letter can be viewed at memphisrestaurants.com.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Shelby County Health Department told The Commercial Appeal it would be issuing a formal response to the letter. As of 2 p.m. Monday, a response had yet to be issued.
The petition opens with the following: “These have been unprecedented times and we would like to thank the Shelby County Health Department for working hard to keep us safe. However, the restrictions have been debilitating for the restaurant industry. Shelby County Health Department states that their guidelines are based on science and data. The restaurant owners who are struggling to keep doors open, employees who have lost their jobs, and Shelby County taxpayers deserve to see that data.”
In addition to requesting signatures, the petition encourages Memphians to share their support of the petition on social media.
Organizers also encourage supporters to attend the Shelby County Commission meeting Dec. 7 to voice their concerns.
Tony Westmoreland, whose restaurant group Tandem Restaurant Partners operates such establishments as Cafe Society, Benyay’s Gumbo Shop and Zinnie’s, is one of many restaurateurs who have expressed their support and gratitude for the petition.
“It’s nice to see support coming back to the restaurants from the community,” he said of the petition.
Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer .chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.