On Wednesday, Nov. 11, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine gave a statewide address in which he basically called for Ohioans to really, truly, sincerely, for real, please mask up, socially distance and wash your hands…because the state keeps breaking its daily COVID case records, over and over and over again.
On Friday, the Ohio Department of Health reported 8,071 new cases in 24 hours, smashing our previous record of 7,101 — set just the day before.
DeWine reissued the state’s mask mandate, adding new enforcement mechanisms for retailers and bars/restaurants, and reemphasized the capacity limit on gatherings. Some Ohio lawmakers had hoped that he would respond more aggressively, with a “science-based” approach that would presumably have entailed some renewed lockdown. Instead, DeWine tried once again to appeal to Ohioans’ better angels. He said that changes in behavior would be necessary to protect medical workers and every Ohioans’ friends and families. All of the state’s 88 counties now have a high rate of spread.
He also said that if COVID-19 cases continue to surge over the next week, he’ll be forced to close bars, restaurants and fitness centers to combat the rising infection rate.
Ohio bars and restaurants are not super thrilled about this.
The Ohio Restaurant Association and Ohio Craft Brewers Association both released their own statements about the possible shutdown.
The gist: The hospitality industry both employees tons of workers and brings in significant revenue for the state; both breweries and restaurants have gone above and beyond their already stringent health code standards to ensure the health of customers and employees; and repeatedly, DeWine has said a majority of COVID spread is coming from private gatherings, so why jeopardize the future of these local businesses if they aren’t the problem?
John Barker, president and CEO of the ORA, wrote (in part):
“Like everyone, we are concerned about the recent surge in COVID-19 cases and are committed to controlling the rising numbers. We are also deeply concerned for the 58% of Ohio restaurants that have indicated they may close their doors permanently if they continue operating at current capacity. Another shutdown of indoor dining would significantly increase the number of restaurants that would be forced to close their doors…
The restaurant industry has always been heavily regulated and safety provisions have been escalated since the pandemic began. The problem is the rise in cases have continuously been linked to unregulated events and gathering, as identified by Governor Mike DeWine.
Any discussion of another restaurant closure is inconsistent with any science or contact tracing data that we have been provided, which continues to detail that the greatest risk of transmission, is occurring in unregulated private gatherings. Further restrictions would be devastating to an industry that employs 585,000 Ohioans at more than 23,000 locations, and is troubling, considering the extensive steps the industry has taken to effectively abide by orders, requirements and recommendations. Additionally, local communities would suffer consequences if restaurant locations are forced to close or lessen their hours and capacity significantly. Ohio’s cities and towns would be deeply affected economically, and local health care systems would continue to be overwhelmed because of unregulated, private gatherings.
The trust and confidence of restaurant employees and customers remains our focus, and the Ohio restaurant and foodservice community will do what is needed to maintain it and remain open.”
The Craft Brewers Association released something similar, with executive director Mary MacDonald writing:
“…With tables appropriately spaced, surfaces rigorously cleaned and mask-wearing enforced for customers and employees, breweries were among the safest places to visit during the pandemic.
Now, even with all of these safety measures in place, even with data showing that the spread of COVID does not appear to be tied to eating and drinking establishments, even with reports that 95% or more of these establishments are following public health guidelines, the state of Ohio is planning another shutdown of breweries, bars and restaurants.
Make no mistake: a second shutdown would almost certainly devastate our industry and force many small businesses to close their doors for good.
Under current conditions, 37% of Ohio breweries report that they are likely to be forced to shut their doors within a year. A second shutdown would surely accelerate the permanent closure of those businesses and could place up to two-thirds of Ohio’s 359 breweries in peril.
Ohio breweries employed more than 8,000 people before the pandemic, many of whom were furloughed during the first closure and able to be brought back to work with funding from the federal Payroll Protection Program. With Congress unlikely to provide additional stimulus or relief funds in the near future, a second shutdown would result in another massive spike in unemployment and no mechanism to support those workers.
Ohio breweries are responsible for nearly $1 billion in economic activity within the state. There are breweries in 67 of Ohio’s 88 counties, breathing life into big city neighborhoods and rural communities alike. Breweries are integral parts of their communities, donating more than $1.15 million and 13,000 volunteer hours to charity each year.
As we have been told repeatedly for the past few months, the rise in COVID-19 cases is directly attributable to unregulated, private gatherings. Because of the exceptional public health measures we have put in place, contract tracing data does not suggest that breweries, bars and restaurants play a significant role in the current upward trends in COVID-19 diagnoses, hospitalizations and deaths.
As an industry, we are greatly concerned about the rising numbers of COVID-19 cases in the state, a situation which poses its own challenge to our small businesses. However, the effects of a second shutdown would cripple our industry, cost thousands of Ohio jobs and ultimately doom many small businesses to fail. We urge the state to point their efforts toward the irresponsible actors that are perpetuating this crisis and allow Ohio breweries to continue to set the example for how to conduct business safely during the pandemic.”
Earlier this month, three area bars told CityBeat‘s Sean M. Peters that they were likely to continue to suffer or close unless they received more federal — or local — aid. And this was before the threat of a second shutdown.
Arnold’s Bar and Grill’s owner Chris Breeden said business is down 75% over last year, but that he, his family and employees are in a position where they can float for a few months before it becomes more challenging, thanks to cooperation from the city and their federal PPP loan.
Jesse Baker of Northside’s Arcade Legacy: Bar Edition said, “The (federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program) money is drying up and that leaves me with no help very soon. We’ve just reopened and business is down by about 70% so far. I am hoping that will rise as people realize we are back open. There’s not much to work with, though, since we still have to stop serving at 10 p.m. I’d say about 75% of our business is after 10 p.m. most nights. It doesn’t add up for us.”
And Jake Rouse, CEO of Braxton Brewing Co., anticipates a lot of bars will go belly up unless something drastic is done on a federal level.
This article appears in The Gift Guide.