Lifting of restrictions benefiting local restaurants and bars

“We are anticipating being very busy again,” general manager Brian Kanneken said. “Our weekends haven’t really slowed down even when we were doing the passport at the door, our weekends were very, very busy. People were excited to be able to get out and I anticipate this weekend will be much the same. We’ll be very busy again and we’ll see lots of returning customers.”

Restaurants and bars can now serve alcohol past 11 p.m. and there are no more limits on the number of people who can sit at tables.

The Whiskey District says staff are a little more relaxed not having to scan vaccine passports. Across the city at The North, it’s a similar feeling.

“You can sit with your whole family and friends again and mingle,” owner Ashley Boles said. “It’s really exciting for the bar industry.”

Boles says it’s also been quite a bit busier lately and they are expecting the trend to continue this weekend.

“I’m hoping it’s going to be really busy,” Boles said. “We have UFC this weekend. Just excited to see the smiling faces and every out again.”

The back section of The North will soon also have familiar faces. Gas City Pool League has spent the last two years starting and stopping leagues and The North is one of the over 20 places they compete in.

“Then the government restrictions would come into place and we would have to step back, replan, reschedule, readjust and try and start again and it would be a matter of time before the restrictions would come back differently,” Donna Sandau, with the league said.

But now, their 500-plus member club will be back up and running for a spring league starting next month.

The changes this week have businesses happier.

“The mood has been fairly upbeat,” Kannekens said.

Employees are more relaxed and local clubs are optimistic about starting again. They’re all knocking on wood that things can stay this way.

by Teagan Rasche

Lifting of restrictions benefiting local restaurants and bars

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