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It's our duty to report this. We are receiving tons of reports of Atlanta restaurants mistreating their workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and putting them and guests at risk by withholding information of people testing positive. [thread]
This morning, we reported information we received about Superica in Krog St. Market learning an employee tested positive for COVID-19. The restaurant group did not make this publicly known and requested the employee return to work before they received a negative test result. (1)
Our source told us the employee was told they wouldn't have their job if they didn't come back to work. The employee who tested positive returned to work after being pressured and threatened of termination during a global pandemic. (2)
Superica is owned & operated by Ford Fry Restaurants (aka Rocket Farm), owned by Chef/Owner Ford Fry. It includes the Optimist, Little Rey, Superica Buckhead + Krog, St. Cecilia, King + Duke, Marcel, Beetlecat, No. 246, & JCT Kitchen. (3)
We've also been told of unsanitary conditions include rodent infestations as well as employees crying during line-ups due to their frustration & exhaustion of working under the conditions during the pandemic. We were told they are overworked & afraid for their lives (4)
In a time when our government fails to act during the spread of a deadly virus, we feel it is our job to report these stories while protecting workers' anonymity as their lives are continuously put in danger. The people deserve to know when they are being put at risk. (5)
Ford Fry and Rocket Farm have disabled all commenting on their Instagram accounts around 11 a.m. (6)
We are now receiving a flood of messages with more reports concerning other restaurants. We are going to report them here in this thread while we work with a team to provide coverage throughout the day. Calls to action to follow. (7)
"Hi. I'm a bartender at Hooters downtown. An employee tested positive while asymptomatic. She tested on the 8th just as a precaution, got her positive results on the 13th, and was told as long as she's not showing symptoms by Sat. the 18th she could return to work." (8)
"No announcements to guests, no negative test needed, nothing. And the restaurant is disgusting. I don't mind if you post this, but please keep me anonymous. Thank you." (9)
"An employee at Marcel told me back in June that someone tested positive at Marcel & they weren't going to tell anyone but it got leaked so they had to. Apparently [someone else] got it a while back & they didn't shut down for 3 weeks." (10)
"Vortex in L5P had 7 employees test positive for COVID & they are not telling anyone about it. They are down to just two servers, one bartender, & one manager & they are running them ragged." (11)
Just in: "Sexual harassment is one of the biggest things that runs rampant through the restaurant industry. I've been in the industry 10 years & worked at many of ATL's top restaurants & I've been sexually assaulted in every single one of them." (12)
