Ocean county sheriff's department operation shuts down restaurant for serving breakfast, lunch and dinner

Ocean County Sheriff’s Department Operation Shuts Down Restaurant For Serving Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Posted by
1 min read
August 21, 2020

FORKED RIVER, NJ – “They just shut our doors, locked us out and that’s it.”

That’s how a small business owner in Forked River described a law enforcement task force that showed up at his business and shut it down.

Ocean County Sheriff Michael Mastronardy’s department led the operation against a diner in Forked River in the early morning hours on Friday. News 12 crews were present at the scene after interviewing owner Brian Brindisi yesterday.   Mastronardy’s strike force arrived before dawn with a locksmith in two during the operation to change the locks at the Lakeside Diner.  The diner has been tried and convicted by Governor Phil Murphy of serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner.   The sentence was an immediate forced closure. Several police officers from the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department and Lacey Township Police Department escorted the locksmith to lock the owner out of his business.

“It’s just an executive order, it’s not a law,” Brindisi told News 12. “An executive order does not override our constitution.”

Brindisi said that instead of shutting him down, the state should have used his business as a role model of success. Since June he has been serving meals to customers indoors.  No cases of COVID-19 have been reported due to his continued operation.

“What am I supposed to do? I worked 30 years to get where I am in life,” he added. “I’m not going to let somebody just come in and shut me down.”

He said he’s going to remain open and keep serving his customers.

“Nobody should have that type of power,” he said.

Photo: New12, Facebook Video.

Ocean County Sheriffs Officers at Lakeside Diner in Forked River this morning to shut down business that has been serving indoors despite Governor Murphy’s Executive order. Live updates on News 12 New Jersey

Posted by Tony Caputo on Friday, August 21, 2020

Phil Stilton

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.

Don't Miss