Man says he was denied entry to a Denver restaurant. The reason has him asking: ‘Is it 2026 or 1966?’

A man with tattoos on his face and neck said a Denver restaurant would not let him in because of a face tattoo, then filmed a woman covering that tattoo with makeup outside. Linson Jamison, who posts on TikTok as @linsonjamison, shared the clip with the caption, “same face, same person, suddenly acceptable.”

On-screen text in the video reads, “Is it 2026 or 1966? Denver restaurants are still denying people entry over tattoos.” Jamison said he had gone to Happy Camper in Denver to meet a friend and was stopped over the tattoo before he could get inside.

The video opens on an outdoor restaurant patio, where a woman with long dark hair uses a brush on his cheek while he talks to the camera. The clip has drawn 4.9 million views, 202,100 likes, and 4,850 comments.

Jamison films the tattoo being covered on the patio

Jamison said in the video, “At Happy Camper in Denver, meeting my friend. Walk in, and they wouldn’t let me- they wouldn’t let me in with my face tattoo.” He described the tattoo as “Brooklyn’s name.”

The woman, who is wearing a black top and gold jewelry, stays focused on his cheek as he speaks. The camera briefly shows her working, then moves across the patio, where other guests are seated at wooden tables under string lights and a covered structure.

She briefly speaks and mentions a name. Jamison then asks, “Let’s see, is it gone?” He adds, “I mean, mostly.” He turns his head to the side so his neck tattoo is visible while she keeps applying makeup.

He faces the camera again with a slight smile as she appears to finish. The video ends with him looking into the camera and the makeup seemingly in place. His caption frames the covered tattoo as the reason the same face would suddenly be acceptable. The question of who gets to feel welcome in a restaurant has come up elsewhere, such as when a Florida woman taught an older woman a lesson after she claimed a man’s presence was rude.

One commenter identified the spot as Happy Camper Pizza at N Pecos St in Denver, Colorado. Happy Camper Pizza’s website does not list any rule against face tattoos. The only guest note on the site concerns age.

That note says guests under 21 must be with a parent or legal guardian at all times. It also says Fridays and Saturdays are 21+ after 8:30 p.m., and underage guests must arrive before 6:30 p.m. with a parent or guardian, and valid photo ID is required.

In the comments, some viewers questioned why he would still want to spend money there after being turned away. One wrote, “Why would you give them your business?” Others treated the denial as a possible legal issue. One asked, “Isn’t that discrimination? Couldn’t you sue them for that?”

A separate comment ignored the entry dispute and focused on how well the tattoo disappeared. That viewer wrote, “But the coverage of whatever she is using is great. She needs to drop the makeup brand.”

Some backed the restaurant’s right to set rules. One wrote, “God forbid a business have and enforce standards anymore.” Another viewer said the setting made the denial hard to accept. They wrote, “Being denied service because of a tattoo at a PIZZA restaurant is insane.” Debate over who gets in and who doesn’t has surfaced elsewhere, such as when a man allegedly got people banned from a Ruth’s Chris steakhouse over how they dress.