Carson City bar owners in a difficult decision, choosing their health or their business under Phase 2
Submitted by Kelsey Penrose on Thu, 06/04/2020 - 3:01pm
On Friday May 29, Carson City bars and pubs were allowed to reopen under the Governor’s Phase 2. While many rejoiced, it is also putting bar owners in a difficult position.
For many, securing emergency funds such as the Payment Protection Program (PPP) has been an ongoing struggle, and many small businesses have yet to see a dime despite months of shut down.
Without any effective safety net to help struggling businesses get by during a shut down, they are left facing a difficult decision: open and risk their health, or keep closed and risk losing their business and livelihood.
Not to mention, if a business reopens and workers can return to work, unemployment is no longer an option. This forces those who may be at risk for more serious side effects of COVID-19 back into public, regardless of their wishes.
For those who choose to reopen, being able to impose CDC-recommended health measures might also find challenges.
A handful of Carson City bars opened over the course of the past weekend to the public, and were met with many customers hoping to return to their old weekend habits. Many appeared to take the capacity limits seriously; Jimmy G’s Cigar Bar began turning people away once their capacity limit had been reached, according to patrons, and the Tap Shack opted to close down the inside of the building and opt instead for outdoor seating with a new outdoor bar.
This made several customers feel more comfortable. For example, one customer Kendra Smith stated she wouldn’t be going into any bar that did not have an outdoor area.
“I’m not ready for closed-in areas,” said Smith, who had visited both the Jimmy G’s outdoor patio as well as the Tap Shack’s during the opening weekend. “I’m not going to go in anywhere where I have to be inside.”
While the bars themselves were adhering to the new health standards, such as bartenders wearing masks, patrons themselves were not.
Not a single customer at any of the bars visited wore masks or seemed to be practicing social distancing. Friends who hadn’t seen each other in weeks hugged joyously before sitting together in close circles to catch up. Coworkers drove to the bar together to grab an afterwork drink. People moved from group to group exchanging greetings to fellow regulars.
The Governor’s mandate imposes strict rules for businesses to remain open, but the mandate does not require patrons to do anything specific, such as wear masks or maintain social distance. Instead, those are merely suggestions.
For bar owners, the only customers they have are those who aren’t following CDC-suggested policies such as staying at home and only leaving for essentials.
A restaurant, bar or pub with dine-in as opposed to pick-up only is considered a high risk environment, according to the CDC. It’s not really plausible to expect people drinking beverages to wear a mask. While using a straw might help, it’s still going to take saliva from a person’s mouth and bring it into the public sphere, where it is likely to be touched, if only to be thrown away by the bartender or dishwasher.
For more information regarding the Governor’s Phase 2 mandate, you can learn more here.
