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Burbank Sports Bar Says It Will Enforce Mask Policy After Backlash Over Social Media Post

BURBANK (CBSLA) — The owner of a local Burbank sports bar lit up social media Friday when he posted an anti-mask rant to the bar's public Facebook page.

Baret Lepejian, owner of Tinhorn Flats Saloon & Grill, wrote a scathing post in response to the city announcing it would begin issuing fines up to $500 for violating state health guidelines mandating that people wear masks outside of their homes. 

The post, which has since been deleted, denounced the enforcement of mask wearing in public places.

"Tinhorn Flats Saloon & Grill completely denounces this," the post read. "The Burbank City Council is hiring mall cops to enforce this mask mandate because the AMAZING BURBANK PD is refusing to enforce this."

There is no evidence that the Burbank Police Department has denounced the mandate or said that officers will not enforce it.

"WE WILL NOT BOW DOWN TO THREATS & FEARS and WE STAND AGAINST the Burbank City Council and their unconstitutional b------t act," the post continued. "God Bless America, God Bless Burbank Police & Fire & God Bless Freedom."

Screenshots of the post have been circulating on social media and — along with screenshots of other conservative-leaning posts from Lepejian's formerly public Facebook profile — garnering severe backlash.

"We have gotten plenty of backlash," Lucas Lepejian, a Tinhorn Flats employee, said. "We've gotten multiple phone calls, multiple Yelp reviews."

The owners have since changed their policy making it mandatory for customers to wear a face covering.

Burbank police said they receive about 10 calls per day about people in downtown or on the Chandler Bikeway not wearing masks and would focus enforcement on those areas.

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