Big Dipper Ice Cream — Restaurant in Missoula

My husband and I have loved this ice cream shop. However, I have a medical condition and I cannot wear a mask. I explained this to the girl behind the counter this evening when she refused service to me because of this. She said I need to wear a mask or no service and I asked if she was discriminating against me. She said no because it is the law. This is not the law and I explained that to her. It is an order which does not qualify as the law. It is a RECOMMENDATION and one that should not be forced upon another. I am exempt under the Governor’s Order and the Missoula City County Health Order. She seems to think that an ordinance = the law. It did not get passed as law. She also stated that their other location services people with no masks but that is inconvenient to me because I was already in the shop ready to place my order and she was asking me to hop back into my vehicle and drive across town. Very inconvenient. As stated above, my husband and I have loved this shop, but if they are going to refuse service to me for discrimination, I will take my business elsewhere. Please read below and see for yourself.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is federal civil rights legislation that prohibits discrimination in numerous settings including: employment, education, voting, and public accommodations.

“SEC. 201. (a) All persons shall be entitled to the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, and privileges, advantages, and accommodations of any place of public accommodation, as defined in this section, without discrimination or segregation on the ground of race, color, religion, or national origin.

(b) Each of the following establishments which serves the public is a place of public accommodation within the meaning of this title if its operations affect commerce, or if discrimination or segregation by it is supported by State action:

(1) any inn, hotel, motel, or other establishment which provides lodging to transient guests, other than an establishment located within a building which contains not more than five rooms for rent or hire and which is actually occupied by the proprietor of such establishment as his residence;

(2) any restaurant, cafeteria, lunchroom, lunch counter, soda fountain, or other facility principally engaged in selling food for consumption on the premises, including, but not limited to, any such facility located on the

premises of any retail establishment; or any gasoline station;

(3) any motion picture house, theater, concert hall, sports arena, stadium or other place of exhibition or entertainment; and

(4) any establishment (A)(i) which is physically located within the premises of any establishment otherwise covered by this subsection, or (ii) within the premises of which is physically located any such covered establishment, and (B) which holds itself out as serving patrons of such covered establishment.

Edit for response:

Your “apology” is insufficient. To offer online service with curbside pickup is not a reasonable accommodation. What you are suggesting as your accommodation is to treat me as if I’m an alley cat that’s been diseased. I am not a virus. If I was sick, I would certainly not be entering an ice cream shop. I am a paying customer that deserves dignity and respect just the same as any other person. What your employee did was breaking the law. What you did was condoning her actions. So I ask you, how can we...

I had previously written a review and it seems to have been removed. The male staff member was provocatively looking at our teenage son. This was creepy and inappropriate. It made for a very unpleasant family outing and was uncomfortable for us all. If this review is removed again, I will be calling the owner and Google to lodge a complaint. The situation needs to be remedied and other parents alerted. Not okay. The ice cream was okay. It was difficult to stomach after the interaction with the male staff member towards our adolescent son. In response to owner's reply... That is your excuse. It isn't an issue of being an equal opportunity employer. Safe boundaries. Our son is a child. When grown men eyeballed my 14 year old daughter, you better believe I said something. It is not okay and I hope your business does not condone nor excuse for the sake of equal opportunity....

Generally good ice cream and a Missoula favorite.

Recently went in and had a strange experience, they had no waffle cones and when asked about it staff said “nobody under 18 wants to make them”. I dont know if they where implying a high school student on a work permit hadn't made them or something else, it was off-putting, I’ve never had such an experience there and they are well known for their waffle cones. As of lately though both locations most of the employees are extremely high and generally spacey and act strange so it was par for the course there.

Chocolate chip cookie dough is their best flavor and its only a specialty occasionally. They should...