KN95 mask wearers on Blacktip Island will now be able to snack while masked thanks to the Tail Spinner restaurant’s new Feedbag Facemask food inserts. (photo courtesy of Val Schrader)
In an effort to encourage anti-COVID facemask use, a Blacktip Island eatery has combined KN95 masks with snack-sized meal inserts to allow users to eat while wearing the masks, the restaurant’s owner announced Thursday.
“No one likes wearing a mask, but that’s the first line of defense against this virus,” Tail Spinner restaurant owner Val Schrader said. “With a little something to munch on inside, though, mask wearing can be downright enjoyable. I got the idea from a couple of roadside donkeys.
“The food pocket clips on the inside any KN95,” Schrader said. “We’re calling them Feedbag Facemasks, and can fill them with whatever food the customer wants, whether it’s from our menu or custom made. The most popular options are chips, nuts, fruit and candy. There’s also vegetarian and vegan offerings, and we can make snacks to accommodate any food allergies. Some things do work better than others, though. Split pea soup was a disaster.”
Customers raved about the masks.
“They do snack, breakfast, lunch and dinner masks,” Rocky Shore said. “I swap through them all day. And I don’t have folks reaching in, bogarting my chips. And the way I figure it, a facemask stuffed with food adds another layer of virus protection. I’m eating spaghetti right now. That sauce’s pretty dense, so I’m feeling strong.”
Some in the community worried about the masks’ overall practicality.
“I understand the food packs are modular and not part of the masks, but it’s still unhygienic,” island nurse Marissa Graysby said. “The bigger problem, though, is encasing your nose and mouth in foodstuffs. I’m treating three, four people a day for aspirating their snacks. And digging crumbs out of the nostrils of twice that many. More people are wearing masks, sure, but that’s creating a bigger health problem and straining our resources.”
Schrader said the masks’ success has encouraged her to experiment with other types of modifications.
“We made masks with little one-way sphincter ports so folks can squeeze a drinking straw through them,” she said. “We’re working on cocktail masks, too, so you can have a refreshing adult beverage while you work. Ideally, we’ll have mask pouches that let the user load them up with any hooch they want.”
The Blacktip Times 