Brown County bars have been slowly reopening over the past couple of weeks as Gov. Eric Holcomb’s “Back on Track Indiana” plan reached its fourth phase.
Bars are now allowed to operate at 50 percent capacity under the plan while restaurants can hold 75 percent. These capacity restrictions remain in place during Stage 4.5 of the governor’s plan, which was announced last week.
For some local establishments like the 19th Hole Sports Bar, this distinction between bars and restaurants is a little blurry.
The bar is at Salt Creek Golf Retreat, but also serves food and has a restaurant menu. Because of this, General Manager Jennifer VanNess said they have been limiting the number of people at the physical bar to 50 percent while still serving up to 75 percent in the restaurant seating areas.
“There are only so many bar stools, so not that many people have been crowding around the bar,” she said.
Since reopening, the 19th Hole has been seating customers at least six feet apart and breaking up large groups of six or more people into separate sections.
VanNess said that in order to prevent as much contact between customers and employees as possible, the restaurant and bar have been using disposable menus and silverware along with using individually packaged condiments. All employees have also been required to wear masks while at work, VanNess said.
“We are taking every precaution we can to protect our staff and customers,” she said.
However, the bar and restaurant are not requiring customers to wear masks while in the building. Instead, the 19th Hole has opted to promote social distancing in their seating arrangements and constantly disinfect common areas like bars and stools.
“We have asked that customers use their own discretion since we have figured out that you can’t control their actions,” VanNess said.
This approach that puts the customers’ actions and health responsibilities in their own hands has worked well for the bar, VanNess said.
A lot of the 19th Hole’s customers are golfers that just swing by quickly for a snack or drink, and the staff has noticed that many of their customers have been keeping community safety a priority.
“Everyone has been very respectful of each other, our employees and the facility so far,” VanNess said. “We have not had any issues at the bar or restaurant so far.”
Many of the restaurants and bars owned by Nashville-based company Big Woods Hard Truth Quaff On (BWHTQO) have faced similar challenges to the 19th Hole while reopening some of their establishments.
Similar to the 19th Hole, Big Woods at Hard Truth Hills on Old State Road 46 in Nashville is both a restaurant and bar that has been operating at 75- and 50-percent capacity respectively.
Big Woods is also requiring employees, but not customers, to wear masks in their buildings and have been promoting social distancing between both groups of customers and their workers.
“A lot of our restaurants, including those in Nashville, have been able to get every guest to be six feet apart from both themselves and our employees,” said Jeff McCabe, co-founder and executive chairman of BWQOHT Inc.
Additionally, Big Woods has been making use of disposable and electronic menus as well as prepackaged silverware so customers don’t have to touch as many items while there.
McCabe said that extra precautions have been taken surrounding things that customers must touch, like immediately washing every individual pen a guest uses to sign a check.
“We have been thoroughly cleaning almost every aspect of our bars and restaurants,” he said. “Any time a customer or employee grabs an item or leans on a surface, it is being disinfected.”
McCabe said that Big Woods has been limiting the number of stools they have at their bars, but that oftentimes only one or two will be in to drink at once. As a result, McCabe said that employees are still able to serve customers cordially and normally. He has been encouraging servers and bartenders to smile, even if guests can’t fully see their faces.
“We’re not just complying with the guidelines but also we are making them work for us,” he said. “We have actually found that if someone is genuinely smiling, you can tell and our customers can see it and feel it, even if they have a mask on.”
Big Woods’ mantra, according to McCabe, has always been to provide customers with a safe, comfortable environment and that is what they have been trying to uphold during the reopening process.
“We’re not just in the restaurant and bar business, we are in the experience business,” he said. “We have got to provide a fun experience no matter what.”
Shannon Hall, owner of Frenchy’s Pub in Morgantown, said that the bar has not struggled with reopening as much as he had expected initially.
Like other local bars, Frenchy’s is also a restaurant and has been operating at 75-percent capacity in their restaurant and 50-percent in their bar.
Unlike other bars, however, Hall said that Frenchy’s is not requiring employees or customers to wear masks inside the pub. Instead, employees’ temperatures are being taken before every shift and they are being screened before they clock in.
“We are a pretty small outfit and usually only have two to three employees working at once, so it has been easier for us to manage and ensure safety,” Hall said.
In addition to screening workers, Frenchy’s provides guests with a fully disposable experience with plastic utensils and one-use plates. Bar staff members have also been constantly disinfecting common areas in their building, including any surface that a customer may lean on or touch while ordering, Hall said.
“We have been cleaning the bar every half-hour so far,” he said. “Just constantly wiping down all the areas that are touched the most.”
Hall said that Frenchy’s staff has been doing a great job of maintaining the pub experience and the feeling of a safe environment for customers. Despite not having any requirements or expectations for guests, Hall said every customer has been respectful and there have been no incidents thus far.
“As far as the customers go, it’s pretty much been business as usual for us here,” he said.
