IN YET another show of goodwill, a business has defied the US Government's order to shut down, opening its doors in Yorktown, Virginia.

But it wasn't just for any old reason - it was for a very old reason.

Antoinette "Mama" Betourne turned 100 on Tuesday, and she's celebrated her birthday every year for the past 10 years at the Carrot Tree Kitchens. Owner Glenn Helseth didn't want to mess with tradition, reopening his restaurant to help her mark the occasion.

"Her daughter told me that 'Mama' was turning 100 on Tuesday and that all she wants to eat is Brunswick stew, a ham biscuit and carrot cake," Mr Helseth told The Huffington Post.

"I'm open, I intend to remain open. If asked to close, I intend to remain open unless I am physically forced to do so.

"I owed my customer a meal on her 100th birthday. I have employees. I don't have any regrets. She wiped the bowl clean."

The Kitchens are located within the National Park in Yorktown, which is why they were ordered by the government to shutdown. The legal consequences of opening the restaurant include arrest and fines, but Mr Helseth feels he has a duty not just to his customers, but to his employees by reopening.

"My staff members have been coming to me and asking if they should buy food or medicine," he said.

"My staff is not getting any back pay. My people aren't getting paid for the days we missed. I need to look out for the welfare of my staff," he told CBN News.

"I'm paying for the insurance on this building. While it's closed I'm paying for the utilities on this building. I'm paying for the security system that is protecting this building and I cannot use this building," he said.

The US Government shut down after Republicans and Democrats failed to reach an agreement over how to fund the country.

The shutdown has cost the US economy $1.6 billion so far, and the jobs of about 800,000 workers have been "furloughed" - a temporary leave of absence due to special circumstances.

Some US national parks and monuments, including the Statue of Liberty and the Grand Canyon, are to reopen after states agreed to fund them temporarily.

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