CA restaurant owner claims to find 'loophole' to remain open during COVID-19 stay-home order

LODI, Calif. -- Central California has been hit hard by the winter wave of the coronavirus. The region recently fell below a hospital ICU capacity of 15%, triggering a required stay-at-home order for three weeks, as directed by Governor Gavin Newsom.

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But a restaurant owner in Lodi says he has found a loophole to be able to continue operating.

Denis Xeros of Denis' Country Kitchen has not opened his restaurant to the public, technically. Instead, Xeros has been charging customers $1 upon entry as a "membership fee," hoping it will be a solution to keep him from going under.

"We all need income, we have rent to pay, those things aren't stopping," Xeros said. "We were already barely making it. I found that loophole, and I'm going for it."

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Denis' Country Kitchen has been open for nearly 30 years. Xeros plans to stay open no matter what, to protect his restaurant and his employees.

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