Bars are reopening in select Louisiana parishes that have less than a five percent positivity rate on COVID tests for a two week period. City Bar in Crowley opened Wednesday night. Owner Chad Monceaux says he’s been getting calls from antsy patrons ready to return to their favorite watering hole.
“They just miss that visiting time and camaraderie, they miss it. They miss the atmosphere and the friendships and all of that good stuff,” said Monceaux.
Bars have reopened in four parishes, Acadia, Jefferson Davis, St. Landry, and Plaquemines. St. Charles and St. James parish governments opted in Thursday night and the Rapides Parish Police Jury votes Friday.
Under Phase Three bars that can open must do table service and limit indoor capacity to 25 percent. Governor Edwards has warned Phase Three could last months and Monceaux worried about what that could mean.
“I am going to actually have some income now however it is nowhere near enough to bring us back up to where we were to raise our families,” said Monceaux.
Monceaux has accumulated 40,000 dollars of debt to keep the business running since the shutdowns were first ordered in March.
Edwards issued an order Thursday evening* allowing businesses to serve alcohol until 11 PM, up from 10 PM, but Monceaux said that’s still a problem.
“Ten or eleven, I mean that’s when your crowd comes in most of the time to get started,” said Monceaux.
Monceaux also noted there is conflicting information between various state agencies as to when you are allowed to begin serving.
*Updated at 6:10 PM 09-17-2020 from previous text mentioning the 10 PM cutoff.*
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