‘These employees are losing everything.’ Bradenton bar owners to demand an OK to reopen
Joe Harris and other Manatee County bar owners are feeling a little discriminated against.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has partially lifted his business shutdown that closed retail stores, restaurant dining rooms, hair salons, barber shops, nail salons, gyms, and fitness centers against the COVID-19 epidemic.
But not bars and nightclubs, which were ordered closed in mid-March.
Tuesday afternoon, local bar owners and employees gathered in downtown Bradenton to protest not being allowed to go back to work.
“These employees are losing everything. Most people are a paycheck away from losing everything and this has been going on eight or nine weeks,” said Harris, owner of Papa Joe’s Bar, 1242 Whitfield Ave.
Monday, the Manatee County Tourist Development Council set in motion the lifting of the ban on renting vacation homes during the pandemic. The county commission endorsed the plan Tuesday.
On Friday, DeSantis announced that he was allowing gyms and fitness facilities to reopen.
Hair and nail salons began reopening on May 11.
The reopening of retail stores and restaurant dining rooms has generally been done in a cautious and deliberate way as managers seek to ensure safeguards are in place to keep customers and staff safe.
Notable Bradenton area restaurants that did not reopen until May 11 include the three Chiles Group restaurants: the Sandbar, 100 Spring Ave., Anna Maria, The Beach House, 200 Gulf Drive N., Bradenton Beach, and Mar Vista, 760 Broadway Street, North Longboat Key., and three of the four Anna Maria Oyster Bars, Landside, 6906 14th St. W.; Ellenton, 1525 51st Ave. E.,; and the Pier, 200 Bridge St., Bradenton Beach.
This story was originally published May 18, 2020 at 4:07 PM.
