Jackson County health department issues official order to shut down maskless cafe

Bill Lukitsch
·2 min read
Notices on the doors to Rae’s Cafe in Blue Springs announce that the restaurant has been closed for “not following the Jackson County Health order and causing a significant threat to the health and safety of patrons.” The cafe’s food establishment permit was revoked for repeated violations of the order requiring masks.

Jackson County Health Department officials have issued an order to close a Blue Springs cafe that has been ignoring the county’s mask requirement in public spaces, saying the establishment has posed an “imminent health hazard” during the latest surge of COVID-19.

County officials say Rae’s Cafe continued to violate health department rules despite several warnings and citations. Business owner Amanda Wohletz told The Star last week that her restaurant was not violating the health order. She could not be reached for comment Thursday by phone at the restaurant.

In a press release Thursday evening, county health officials said state law allows the health department director to close a place of public or private assembly when to protect public health. The order, issued by Director Bridgette Shaffer, refers to continued violations of the order as a “public nuisance” and “imminent threat and menace to public health.”

On Aug. 30, Jackson County legislators voted 6-3 to extend the county’s mask order through Oct. 7. The order requires masks to be worn indoors in public places.

The county is also seeking a court order to close the business. A legal petition is to be filed in Jackson County Circuit Court on Friday that would grant a restraining order and a permanent injunction against the business and its owner, county officials said.

Caleb Clifford, chief of staff for the Jackson County Executive’s Office, issued a statement Thursday highlighting the business as an outlier in the county. He said other businesses have followed the rules, and Rae’s Cafe is the only business the county has moved to close during the pandemic.

For her part, Wohletz has contended her business was acting within the bounds of the health order and the law. In the interview with The Star last week, she said she and her workers all are medically exempt — a carveout that exists in the policy.

“We’re completely complying and they still shut me down,” she said at the time.

The business also announced it would operate as a private club and therefore should not have to abide by the county rules. But county officials say that is not a legitimate argument.

Complaints about the business by residents were verified by investigators over recent weeks, the county says. The actions Thursday follow several others from the health department over the past few weeks.

On Aug. 18, the business received a warning. Tickets were issued on Aug. 27 and Aug. 30. And the cafe’s food permit was revoked on Sept. 3.

The Star’s Robert A. Cronkleton, Anna Spoerre and Glenn E. Rice contributed to this report.