Tuck Box restaurant, owner to pay up to $35,000 for COVID-19 health order violations

CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA, Calif. (KION) The Tuck Box restaurant and its owner, Jeffrey LeTowt, have agreed to pay up to $35,000 in civil penalties to settle violations of state and local COVID-19 emergency health orders, according to the Monterey County District Attorney's Office.

The DA's Office said the violations include providing dine-in service when it was not allowed under health orders, not following social distancing protocols and employees not wearing face coverings.

Part of the agreement is that the Tuck Box will have to follow dine-in service restrictions if they are reissued during a surge of cases, practice social distancing and require employees to wear face coverings.

The settlement will resolve the unfair competition action against the restaurant and criminal action filed against LeTowt for the same volations. Initially, the Tuck Box will have to pay $15,000 in civil penalties and will have to pay the remaining $20,000 if the restaurant or its employees violate the terms of the agreement.

“It remains critical that individuals and businesses continue to follow the state and local COVID-19 emergency health orders. The District Attorney’s
Office will continue to respond to complaints regarding businesses violating the emergency health orders, including the social distancing protocols. We are all in this fight against COVID-19 together, and we must continue to look out for each other. Thank you to everyone who is doing their part,” said District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni.

When the charges were first filed, LeTowt was facing a fine of up to $1,000 and/or six months in jail for each of the three misdemeanor counts he faced.

Even after charges were filed, the restaurant reopened for dine-in service and continued serving customers without masks, according to the DA's Office. LeTowt said the restaurant closed down for a month and a half and lost about $60,000.

A Monterey County judge later granted a temporary restraining order demanding that the Tuck Box cease and desist from several activities, including serving people inside, allowing them to eat on the premises, not following the mask order and not following social distancing guidelines.