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ROCHESTER, Minnesota (KTTC) – The latest restrictions on bars and restaurants are greeted with sadness.
The guidelines aren’t shocking to the service industry, but they are cause for concern, with many establishments already closing permanently due to pandemic restrictions.
Dooley pub owner Tory Runkle said if he understood the safety precautions being taken, he believed it should be up to local authorities.
“A lot of bars and restaurants can do this on their own. If you have an open line of communication,” Runkle said.
Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association executive director Tony Chesak said the latest restrictions came as a surprise because he wasn’t part of the conversation the way he normally is.
“In the hospitality industry, we are highly regulated. We know how to keep people healthy and safe,” Chesak said. “Rather than cutting 10 off as a bit of Witchcraft Hour if you will, what can we do to change that narrative?
Besides not being part of the conversation, the pair say the new rules are an attack on the hospitality industry.
“We are targeted because we are the only industry to be recomposed at this point,” Chesak said. “Obviously we’re caught and targeted. I think everyone knows that by now. It’s so old news at this point that I’m just used to it or we’re used to it,” Runkle said.
They are also concerned about the long-term effects of the latest restrictions.
“There is no foreseeable future for some kind of economic relief package for Minnesota bars and restaurants right now,” Chesak said.
Runkle added that his pub would pinch pennies in hopes of making ends meet.
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