Lone Star franchise owners step down over mandate

The owners of an Auckland restaurant, who were issued $24,000 of fines for breaching the vaccine mandate, have stepped down. In a video posted to YouTube, Lone Star New Lynn owners Stephanie Cowie and Brendon Pascoe said they were leaving effective immediately, after Lone Star gave them 10 days to comply or leave. ‘‘The last two years with lockdowns, and constant changes to Covid measures and restrictions have been horrific, to be honest,’’ Cowie said. ‘‘We can see no light at the end of the tunnel with our business.’’ Damned Fine Food, which operates Lone Star NewLynn, was issued two infringement notices on Friday and fines for breaches of the vaccine mandate.