Rae’s Cafe reopens in Independence location after being forced to close over mask mandate
A Blue Springs cafe that closed after defying a mask mandate in Jackson County has reopened in a new location in Independence.
Patrons of Rae’s Cafe do not have to wear masks inside the restaurant, now located along Highway 291, near 23rd Street.
Independence does not have a mask mandate, but encourages indoor masking.
In August, inspectors issued a warning and tickets after people made complaints saying the business, then in Blue Springs, was not following the mask mandate. Around that time, the Kansas City metro was dealing with a rise in COVID-19 cases attributed to the delta variant.
Jackson County Environmental Health revoked the cafe’s food permit and ordered it closed on Sept. 3.
The cafe’s supporters were outraged and owner Amanda Wohletz refused to obey the directive, continuing to keep the doors open and serving customers.
In September, the Blue Springs cafe was forced to close after a Jackson County judge ruled that it was not complying with the county’s mask mandate. That mandate has since expired.
Independence Councilman Mike Huff, who has previously spoken out against the mask mandate, worked with council members Brice Stewart and Michael Steinmeyer to find a new location for the cafe.
That upset some of Huff’s constituents, he said, and he received a number of threatening messages. Even so, he continued helping Wohletz, even buying a stainless steel counter top and kitchen supplies for the new location’s opening on Dec. 19.
Business is booming, Wohletz said Friday, adding that she was too busy with customers to elaborate.
Huff said backlash to the cafe has quieted and that he believes it should be up to individuals to decide whether to wear a mask or not.
He has not worn a mask while visiting the cafe, but said he will often choose to put a mask on indoors. He is waiting to receive a booster vaccine.
“I’m 62-years-old so I need to be protecting myself as much as possible,” Huff said.
Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows masks are highly effective at slowing COVID’s spread.
In recent weeks, the number of cases in the Kansas City metro has increased dramatically with the spread of the omicron variant with more than 3,900 new cases recorded on Thursday alone.
This story was originally published January 7, 2022 at 2:47 PM.
