Sumter businesses, restaurants still encourage masks as city's mandate ends

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Face coverings are no longer required by local law in food and retail establishments within Sumter city limits, yet restaurant and business owners continue to encourage the community to be safe and wear a mask.

Most local restaurants have removed their mask requirement signs after the removal of the city's mandate, which expired April 16.

Carolina Grove owner Jim Mayes Jr. took down the restaurant's mask requirement sign on Tuesday, but he still has signs posted at the host desk encouraging customers to follow health and safety guidelines.

"With the city really relaxing it, we don't require our guests to wear it," he said. "We require all of our staff to wear it."

Willie Sue's manager Greg Buttermore said their employees will also continue wearing masks, but they are not requiring customers to wear them with the city mandate gone.

"I'm not law enforcement," he said. "I can't enforce the policies. If people choose not to wear them, then they choose not to wear them."

Corporate-owned companies, such as Food Lion and Walmart, are following orders from their headquarters, according to local employees. However, Walmart's sign, which was still hanging as of Thursday, stated face coverings are required based on local/state orders. There currently are none.

"It just hasn't come down from the home office yet," said a Broad Street Walmart employee. "It probably just hasn't updated yet."

Simpson Hardware and Sporting Goods general manager Shawn Matthews posted new signs on the Sumter store's doors that ask customers to wear a mask inside out of respect for its associates and fellow customers.

"Our policy is we recommend that customers wear their mask when they come into the store. We don't require it," Matthews said. "Right now, that's kind of still our policy going forward."

As of Thursday, Cut Rate Drug Store had not taken down signs that read "City ordinance requires masks" off its door, but discussion about it was in the works.

According to a pharmacist at the local drug store and diner, they are waiting on the three co-owners to decide whether to require a mask in the store before taking the signs down. One of the co-owners is on vacation.

"Most of us are very happy with the masks," the pharmacist said. "We deal with people who are sick, people who are elderly, people we want to protect. We encourage people to wear the mask."