On Tuesday, Governor Tim Walz announced new COVID-19 restrictions progressively limiting gatherings for banquets and similar events over the next few weeks, and setting a 10 p.m. curfew for bars and restaurants. KROX check in with local businesses to see how they anticipated being impacted by the new restrictions –
CROOKSTON EAGLES
Crookston Eagles manager Jake Fee said the biggest effect of the new restrictions will be on events and banquets. “I think the biggest thing with us is it will probably make it really difficult to hold even a smaller event,” said Fee. “It’s going to be a little more difficult. With keeping the capacity at 50 percent not a whole lot is going to change. We’ll have to remove the bar seating which some people like. Other than that, not a lot has changed. Most of our closing has been at 10 p.m. anyway.”
Bingo will still be offered, although Thursday night may begin a little sooner to accommodate the 10 p.m. curfew. “Right now, those have been the only nights that have been really good for us,” said Fee. “For the most part, we can still operate on that. We still expect to have bingo on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The only change really would be to switch at 7 p.m. start for bingo on Thursday to 6:30 p.m. to allow plenty of time afterward so we’re not rushing them out the door at 10 p.m., but we’re still discussing it. For the most part, we can operate on our normal bar about the same. Just any meetings or banquets we’d host are more restrictive now so that will cause further delay on really having any events at the Eagles.”
DRAFTS SPORTS BAR & GRILL
Drafts owner Jasmine Melsa said she doesn’t really feel like the new restrictions have much impact on operations. “For us, all we have to do is close a little earlier and can’t seat people at the bar anymore,” said Melsa. ‘We don’t have darts, pool tables, or that kind of stuff. The biggest thing would be people walking up to the bar for pull-tabs and we’re just going to tell people to stay seated and we’ll bring them to them. Really it doesn’t affect us that much. We’re going to close an hour earlier on Friday and Saturday. Usually, we’re open until 10 p.m., but since people have to be out by 10 p.m., we’re going to close the kitchen at 9 p.m. which we kind of slow down at that time anyway. I don’t really see it as any major change for us.”
Melsa said as numbers have gone up more people have decided not to go out adding to the unpredictability of when the restaurant will get busy. “We’re hanging in there,” said Melsa. “It’s slow, then busy, then slow, then busy. Not busy like it used to be but it’s really unpredictable. As the numbers go up, I know people who are like – Nah, we’re not going to go out anymore. So, I think we’re going to continue to see that affecting our business for sure.”
IRISHMAN’S SHANTY
Irishman’s Shanty Paul Gregg said the food restriction doesn’t have much impact, but the big impact will be no seating at the bar. “It’s not what you want to do or want to hear but you do it for the health of everybody,” said Gregg. “Our kitchen closes by 9 p.m. anyway, so the 10 p.m. food thing doesn’t affect us. The biggest thing for us will be the no seating at the bar. We had taken out half our bar stools, now if you have to take them all out it cuts down on what you come to a bar for – the camaraderie and to see and talk with people.”
Gregg said he’s looking at alternative uses for the banquet room this winter with few holiday parties being booked. “We’re probably going to look at setting up a porta bar in the banquet room to give us a little more room since nobody is booking banquets anyway,” said Gregg. “It’s already going to be a very thin Christmas and understandably so. People aren’t booking Christmas parties or Holiday parties. Typically, I have the banquet room booked almost every night from Thanksgiving to Christmas but now it’s open about every night.”
SCOBEY’S PUB & GRUB
Scobey’s Pub & Grub owner Laurie Stahlecker said they have made the decision to close banquet rooms through the end of the year in light of yesterday’s restrictions on the size of gatherings. “We made the decision that based upon Walz’s information we’re not going to have our banquet rooms open until after the first of the year,” said Stahlecker. ‘We’re shutting down our banquet hall and the North Shore room completely. We’ve been in contact with the people that had it booked to let them know. We’ll reopen the bar on Monday and just do the 4-10 p.m. like we normally do, but I’m really pushing for the curbside. If you’re sick, don’t come here.”
Scobey’s Pub & Grub has been closed since last week for dine-in service after being notified of several cases among customers. “Just reiterating the fact that we shut down out of an abundance of caution because we had phone calls from the Department of Health about four separate customers that had tested positive for COVID.”
Since the notification from the Department of Health about the customers, one employee went to get tested and came back positive.
