‘I don’t know what else they want me to do,’ bar owner says

WILKES-BARRE — Riverside Cafe owner Bob Hogan says he has gone to great lengths to abide by Pennsylvania’s regulations for operating his establishment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Guidelines posted on the front door and around the cafe lay out the rules regarding masks and social distancing, reminding patrons that “This is not business as usual.”

Hogan fears that Gov. Tom Wolf’s latest order will make it hard for him to do business, period.

Under regulations that were announced Wednesday afternoon and took effect early today, alcohol can only be served to diners eating at a table or booth — not at bars — and indoor occupancy is limited to 25% of stated fire-code maximum.

“I don’t know what else they want me to do. I’ve done everything they’ve asked,” Hogan said. “This is unfair.”

Even with take-out services and outdoor tables, Hogan expects to take a big hit to his business under the new mandates, though he expects to comply and forge ahead.

Other businesses aren’t sure they can do the same.

Over on Washington Street, Beer Boys is taking a different step: temporarily shutting down.

“With the recent announcement of new restrictions for bars and restaurants we will be closing at midnight tonight,” read a post from the Beer Boys Facebook page shortly after Governor Wolf’s press conference on Wednesday.

A bartender at Beer Boys confirmed the closing, but couldn’t elaborate further, only saying that the announcement caught everyone off-guard.

There’s no word on when the bar will reopen, only a message on Facebook telling customers to “stay tuned for updates.”

Another area bar, Hops and Barleys in Luzerne, is going back to accepting take-out orders only starting tomorrow, according to a post on their Facebook page.

There’s no timetable on when these restrictions will be lifted, and establishments found to be in violation of the new mandates could be subject to fines or even the closure of their business.

Outdoor seating popular

Franklin’s on Public Square will adapt and abide by the new rules, and the bartenders at Franklin’s see the positive side to this situation.

“We want to keep our customers safe, first and foremost,” said Jessica King, who was tending bar on Wednesday when the new mitigation efforts were announced. “It might affect business but we’ll do what we have to do to ensure safety.”

Like at Riverside Cafe, the outdoor seating at Franklin’s and Rodano’s next door will be unimpacted by the new guidelines.

“Our outdoor section is very popular,” King said. “I think we’ll be okay.”

One patron at the bar agreed with King’s sentiments, adding that he thought Governor Wolf “was doing a really good job” handling COVID-19.

“I think this is something that they (Wolf) had to do,” the patron said.

Across the room, Sarah Parks and Chris Hacken endorsed the bar’s handling of the virus.

“We come here once a week or so, and Franklin’s has been great,” Hacken said. “I think that some of these new restrictions are a little unnecessary.”

“If we’re wearing masks and they work, then what’s the problem?” Parks said.

State Rep. Tarah Toohil, R-Butler Township, spoke out against Wolf’s move on Wednesday evening.

“This is new shutdown is un-American. This is not based in science,” Toohil said. “People are not dying in bars. They are dying in nursing homes.”

“Furthermore, this is a blatant attack on small businesses in every county in Pennsylvania regardless of scientific data,” she added. “And with no warning.”

As the Associated Press reported, the Republican-controlled Legislature on Wednesday completed the first step in lawmakers’ drive to amend Pennsylvania’s constitution and strip future governors of some of their authority under emergency declarations.

The Senate approved it, 33-17, a day after the House.

Lawmakers must pass it again in the next two-year legislative session, starting in January, before it can go to voters for approval in a statewide referendum.