California restaurant owner confronts health inspectors as state cracks down on restrictions: ‘Are you gonna pay my rent?’

“My tables are inside. Just because the Health Department has a whole process to go through that takes however long that takes, I have to close my business for that time? Who’s gonna — are you gonna pay my rent? Are you gonna pay my rent?” Anton Van Happen, owner of Nick the Greek in Ventura, California, asked in the video.

“You chose to make those decisions,” a female health inspector responded.

The video comes after Van Happen protested California’s outdoor dining ban earlier this month.

“I am trying to start something where all restaurant owners are going to wake up,” Van Happen told local media of his protest last week, where his outdoor dining patio was packed with customers.

The video of him pushing back against the health inspectors has garnered nearly half a million views this week.

“I followed the rules! I continued to follow the rules, and you guys still, time after time, are giving me citations, telling me I have to close my business! What about my employees?” Van Happen said.

“You’re not following the rules,” the female inspector responded.

He continued, “I chose to protest by putting my tables outside, and I reiterated that. I never sold one single person outside. I did all take-out food and delivery ,so what exactly was I supposed to be doing. That’s exactly what I did. I did not break any — and it was not even a law— I did not break any rule.”

“There is a law that you’re breaking right now by operating without a permit,” the inspector said.

“Because you guys put this closure on my restaurant. So you guys yourselves are creating your own rule. And you’re giving out citations for your own rule that’s created. It’s not by law that you cannot sit outside and eat; that’s not law, that’s a form that I was given. So you can have people that pulled your citation based on that.”

A male inspector explained he was not issuing a citation for closure, saying, “The restaurant is already closed. The permit has been suspended. However, your refusal to close warrants a description.”

Van Happen then asked again if they planned to pay his rent, which was met with a “no” from the male inspector.

The video has garnered the attention of some media pundits, including Meghan McCain and Ann Coulter.

The video comes as California Gov. Gavin Newsom receives pushback over lockdown measures in his state, with a recall effort gaining steam and surpassing half the needed signatures to get the effort on the ballot.