STREETSBORO, Ohio — Restaurant owners were happy to see Gov. Mike DeWine move the state’s curfew to 11 p.m.
What You Need To Know
- Gov. Mike DeWine moved the curfew to 11 p.m. because COVID-19 hospitalizations have been under 3,500 for seven straight days
- Bars, like the Happy Moose in Streetsboro, are excited about the extra hour to work with
- Meanwhile, the popular Barley House in Cleveland is dealing with the state revoking its liquor license
The kitchen at Happy Moose Bar and Grill is active as workers put together pre orders for lunch time.
“When I first bought the restaurant, we were at about between 8-10%, now we’re between 30-40% between of all sales through online and people calling in,” John Nappier said. “So customers want to make sure that when they call in, they get their order in ahead of time so we can stage it.”
Nappier bought the Happy Moose Bar and Grill in Streetsboro in January 2020, never expecting a challenge like a pandemic.
“Oh, it’s been very tough, he said. “You know, when we closed in March, there was no instruction on when we’d be reopening, there was no funds available to support restaurant operators, so it was very difficult. All that had to be developed through the government so that we had some type of peace of mind and knew how to reopen and how to move forward.”
Now reopened, Happy Moose is following every rule and guideline handed down by the state.
“This bar is normally packed with seating. As you can see, we’ve had to limit the seats at the bar to comply with the social distancing piece,” Nappier said. “So when you come into Happy Moose, it’s not like it was when people were all around the bar and people were standing, no no no, we’ve had to limit the seating so that we can comply with the social distancing.”
That included following the previous 10 p.m. statewide curfew which meant closing at 8:30 p.m., so Nappier’s staff could get home in time. The 10 p.m. cutoff also cut into dinner and drink profits.
Nappier is happy DeWine signed a new health order this week, following improved COVID-19 hospitalization rates. The order extends the time bars and restaurants can stay open each night.
“We do an awful lot of business in the evenings; a higher percentage of business and full service is normally dinnertime late night than it is lunchtime,” he said.
The popular Barley House in downtown Cleveland is set to have its liquor license removed by the Ohio Liquor Control Commission on March 24, after being accused of multiple violations of state health orders.
“We are appealing the state’s decision and confident we can get this settled without the need of revoking the license and destroying one of Cleveland’s devoted and long-standing premiere establishments,” Barley House said in a statement.
At the Happy Moose, bartenders are looking forward to making drinks, and serving food for an extra hour, and Nappier sees a light at the end of the tunnel.
“As people become more comfortable with the vaccine and coming back out into the community and the weather breaks, I think sales will pick up very strongly,” he said.
