The owner of Kid Rock's Big Ass Honky Tonk Rock N' Roll Steakhouse in Nashville said he is refusing to follow Mayor John Cooper's plan to shut down all bars in the city's tourist hot-spot Lower Broadway during the coronavirus pandemic. After a video of a packed bar went viral overnight, the Metro Board of Health approved a plan to shut down all bars in Davidson County, including the honky-tonks in downtown Nashville. The Tennessee Department of Health reported 39 cases of coronavirus in the state, with 17 in Davidson County alone.

After Cooper announced his plans, Steve Smith, who owns the bar with Kid Rock's name on it, as well as The Diner and Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, said he will not follow the rule until a statewide mandate is issued. Smith called the decision "unconstitutional."

"Unless there's a statewide mandate that directs all bars and restaurants to be closed, the request made by Mayor Cooper is unconstitutional as he is targeting a select group of businesses," Smith said in a statement. "We are compassionate with those who have contracted the COVID-19 coronavirus and all who are helping manage the crisis as the entire world addresses the outbreak. However, a Tootsie's patron as immediate as last night, mentioned having lived through the polio epidemic and didn't recall such extreme measures being handed down in history."