After being closed for more than two months, Iowa bars can reopen at 50% capacity on Thursday. Several Council Bluffs establishments are ready to jump back in.
Third Base Bar and Grill is staying open late Thursday night because at midnight they can shut off their grill and focus on serving drinks only. Owner Hannah Roppe-Guerdet says losing even a few hours every night has been the hardest on her business.
“We make most of our money from midnight to 2 a.m. That’s when all the people come in and do the shots and have fun and so we really missed out on that crowd,” she tells 6 News.
On Thursday she’ll be able to employ more waitresses and bring her bouncer back. And they will all have new duties including making sure proper social distancing is taking place.
The Black Squirrel is another spot that is ready to welcome in customers. “We’re ready to go. Everything stocked everything is clean. We remodeled and cleaned again,” co-owner Nathan Verzal tells 6 News.
He says deciding to open at half capacity took a lot of decision making. To run a bar you need to earn a profit -- and they’re not sure if they can do that with the current restrictions. Verzal says they’re willing to try to get paychecks in the hands of their employees.
“I can tell you there’s no anxiety, they’re ready to go back to work they’ve been sitting at home for 2 1/2 months and you kind of realize what you’ve missed and what you love to do.”
Both owners say their decision to open is met with mixed reviews, but they’re dedicated to serving those who want to come in the safest way possible and understand why some are choosing to stay home a while longer.
Most bars in Nebraska are still closed but are set to reopen on Monday with restrictions.