Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney is facing strong criticism, particularly from local businesses in his city, after a photograph was taken Sunday of Kenney dining indoors at a restaurant in Maryland.
Restaurateur Marc Vetri posted the image along with an angry caption:
"Glad you're enjoying indoor dining with no social distancing or mask wearing in Maryland tonight while restaurants here in Philly close, suffer, and fight for every nickel just to survive," Vetri wrote. "I guess all your press briefings and your narrative of unsafe indoor dining don't apply to you. Thank you for clearing it all up for us tonight."
Though indoor dining is being allowed to resume in Philadelphia beginning September 8, it will only be permitted at 25% capacity. Currently, all Philadelphia restaurants are restricted to serving guests outdoors exclusively.
Once the image surfaced, Kenney took to Twitter, where he goes by the moniker "Jim #MaskUpPHL Kenney," to respond to the controversy.
The mayor's spokesperson later said that Kenney had gone to the Maryland restaurant because it was owned by a friend, but did stop to eat outdoors in Philadelphia on the way home.
