The Ohio Liquor Control Commission has voted to pass an emergency rule that would ban the sale of alcohol at Ohio bars and restaurants — or any liquor-permitted establishments — after 10 p.m.
Customers will have until 11 p.m. to finish their drinks. And businesses can remain open after 11 p.m. to serve food until closing time.
“We do not want to shut down Ohio bars and restaurants. That would be devastating to them,” said Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine during yesterday’s COVID-19 press briefing. “But we do have to take some action.”
He requested the order after there were COVID outbreaks connected to bars in Toledo, Cleveland and Columbus.
“The problem is, bars, by their nature, lend themselves to a revolving door of people in close contact, oftentimes indoors, with interactions between many different people,” DeWine said. “While this may have been fine during normal times, these are not normal times. We must make a change to curb the social behaviors that will cause this virus to continue to spread.”
The ban is less severe than the two-week shutdown happening to bars across the river in Kentucky. Gov. Beshear ordered bars close to in-person service and restaurants to reduce their indoor capacity to 25% until Aug. 11 to stem to rise in COVID cases there.
But the restrictions will still have an impact on an already struggling hospitality sector.
Many called in to the emergency Ohio Liquor Control Commission hearing to voice their support for bars and to ask the commission to consider the impact this ruling would have on small business owners.
Catherine Manabat, co-owner of Over-the-Rhine’s one-year-old HomeMakers Bar, was one who spoke to the commission (we’re just going to stick her whole commentary in here because it sums up the stance of many who voiced their opinions on behalf of bars and the hospitality industry during the emergency meeting):
“I’m truly not being hyperbolic when I say we are fighting for our survival. And I speak for many bar and restaurant owners in Cincinnati and, I’m sure, across Ohio. This ruling will absolutely be devastating to our industry. The short-term ramifications will be, first, we will have to cut our staff, where we’re already operating with the minimum amount of staff. All of that staff will have to go on unemployment (or) back on unemployment. And, it’s summertime, the sun doesn’t even go down until 9:30 p.m. so we are even hurting to pick up business until 10 o’clock.
I will say for the majority of the bar business and restaurant owners in Cincinnati, people are going above and beyond as far as compliance to what is asked of us because it is in our best interest, and our long-term interest. We’re in the hospitality industry. Not only do we absolutely care about our guests, we care about our staff the health and safety of our staff and our guests are paramount to anything else because we want to survive. We want to see this through and continue to serve our community. We can’t do that if we’re breaking rules and putting people in harms way.
I’m here today this morning to ask you to please consider the many many business owners. I’m not from Ohio originally. I moved here because I truly do love living in Ohio and I’m proud to own a business here.”
The new order goes into effect at 10 p.m. tonight, July 31.
According to Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley, this order can be enforced by the police. Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac said officers will respond based on complaints, and they’ll pass the information along to the Ohio Investigative Unit.
Cranley said the majority of complaints of bar overcrowding and mask violations have taken place on the East Side, with the most complaints directed at Pirates Cove, MLTs, PRVLGD, Animations, Oak Tavern and Andy’s Cafe.
This article appears in The Summer Guide.