‘Here we go again’
Employees, owners of Allegheny County bars face loss of income, jobs after new restrictions
Erica Owens’ initial reaction when she heard all bars in Allegheny County would have to halt sales of on-site alcohol was summed up in four words: “Here we go again.”
Ms. Owens, 33, works as a parttime bartender at The Galaxy Lounge in Homewood. She said the business was just starting to get back into the swing of things after transitioning from curbside services to dine-in when the county entered the green phase a little over three weeks ago.
But when cases of COVID-19 spiked into record numbers over the weekend, the Allegheny County Health Department ordered bars and restaurants to stop selling alcoholic beverages for onsite consumption.
Now, Ms. Owens said she is unsure about the fate of her job and what management’s plans are going forward.
“It hurts,” she said Tuesday afternoon. “Nobody knows what’s going to happen or what’s going on or how long we are going to be in this situation.”
County officials said during a news conference Sunday they will begin enforcing the ban on on-site alcohol sales at bars and restaurants Tuesday at 5 p.m. The county health department pinpointed bars in the South Side and Oakland as common denominators among the most recent positive COVID-19 cases, coupled with people who had vacationed to current coronavirus hot spots.
On Tuesday, the county reported another single-day record for new cases — 109. It is the first time the county reported a singleday increase of more than 100 positive cases since it began recording them on March 14.
David Regan, owner of Mullaney’s Harp & Fiddle in the Strip District, knows firsthand the reality of the threat of the coronavirus and the importance of following orders from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to keep his business safe. Mr. Regan contracted COVID-19 in March, only a week after his Irish pub was “financially devastated” when Pittsburgh’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade was canceled.
Mr. Regan, who has been in business nearly 30 years, said when Mullaney’s Harp & Fiddle reopened in the green phase, he went through extensive measures to prevent the spread of the virus. His staff removed everything off the tables, cut capacity on the patio in
half, limited access to the bathroom, and he made sure his staff was wearing masks.
“We’re doing what the CDC requires and are still being punished,” Mr. Regan said. “I fully understand the whole concept of keeping people healthy. … But if the problem is a few bars in Oakland or South Side or wherever, they should police that rather than everyone.”
Rich Cupka, who has been operating Cupka’s Cafe II on the South Side for 28 years, said he is just as frustrated as bar owners in other parts of the county. Mr. Cupka was in disbelief on Sunday when he got the news he could no longer utilize his bar and said he would like more information from county officials about the sources of the spike in positive cases.
“I would love to see the evidence of how they trace things to the South Side and Oakland,” Mr. Cupka said, adding he feels the guidelines are “arbitrary and capricious.”
Cupka’s Cafe II will close its doors Tuesday at 5 p.m., as Mr. Cupka said the bar would not sustain on selling drinks to-go.
A few doors down on East Carson Street, Archie’s Bar will go back to offering sixpacks of beer to go, owner Archie Manning said. Mr. Manning said his bar will have to return to restricted hours because it can no longer serve alcohol that coincides with the nightlife experience for his customers.
A Hazelwood native, Mr. Manning said the county’s decision to stop on-site alcohol sales is unfair to bars that were following the guidelines, and he expressed concern for his employees who were just getting back to work.
“Last week, I saw the light at the end of the tunnel,” Mr. Manning said. “People were coming back outside. I feel like I did everything in my power to follow the rules, and I wish those businesses who didn’t would have been singled out. It feels very unfair to put the whole county under financial heartache.”
Despite the distress of closing the bar, management at Twentyfourpgh in Duquesne plans to continue using the space to host liquor-free events.
Bar manager and bartender Maurice Ervin said the roller-coaster ride of regulations has been “traumatizing” for him and his staff, but they will continue to adjust accordingly. Twentyfourpgh had a party planned for Fourth of July weekend, which Mr. Ervin said they don’t want to cancel. Instead, they will encourage healthy fun by serving juice and water on an outdoor fenced-in space behind the venue.
Savoy restaurant and wine bar in the Strip District had already begun advertising for Fourth of July weekend events that included a grand opening of its new sports bar. Unfortunately, those plans had to be canceled after hearing Sunday’s news, said owner Chuck Sanders.
Mr. Sanders feels the responsibility should be placed back on the patrons to be sure they are eating and drinking safely and expressed disappointment with the county’s reasoning for closing bars.
“I don’t understand how you can come in my bar and drink a Coca-Cola, but you can’t come in and drink alcohol,” Mr. Sanders said. “Adults are adults. They’re over 21 years old, and they know the risk involved. They should be allowed to make their choices.”
Mr. Sanders said Savoy’s restaurant will continue serving food and will offer drinks to go. He hopes the income from his new CBD Hookah Lounge will make up for the loss in alcohol sales.
While restaurants will continue to serve dine-in food, bartenders say their job security has been hanging in the balance since the start of the pandemic.
Raven Reid, of Stanton Heights, said her hours were cut at her job serving drinks at Red Lobster on McKnight Road in Ross, and she said it has been extremely difficult to communicate with the company about when she can return. Both she and Mr. Ervin, of Twentyfourpgh, said they have not been able to get unemployment benefits since restaurants and bars first closed back in March.
For Ms. Owens, she said she is grateful she has a second part-time job other than bartending at the Galaxy Lounge. But, she added, she will still see a financial impact as she looks to pay her way through school and continues to take care of her son.
“It hurts,” she said. “Summer is already canceled for kids. They just canceled my son’s football league. It’s just so much unknown about moving forward. … It’s just very difficult.”