Here’s how Fort Worth, Arlington bars are feeling after Abbott’s order to close
North Texas bar owners and employees scrambled to close up shop and cash out registers after Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the closure of all Texas bars Friday amid rising coronavirus cases.
In Arlington, Tina McAuley, owner of Marie Red’s at 3007 E. Abram St., said her bar was “muddling through” changes and staff shortages as the 13-year-old bar reopened for business in late May. She had just purchased face masks to hand out to patrons starting Friday evening, when a Tarrant County order would have required everyone in businesses to wear them. Since reopening, McAuley has worked nearly every day as a bartender.
Now, she’s worried her business may not survive another closure.
“I’m in utter shock that I’m closed down again,” McAuley said. “I hope and pray I can open back up and survive through it.”
Billy Bob’s Texas in the Fort Worth Stockyards closed until further notice Friday, less than a week after reopening with a limit of 1,500 per night and resuming live music. Keitha Spears, a spokeswoman for the club, said a few customers had returned Thursday for the first night of live music, which made social distancing in the 100,000 square-foot entertainment center easy. Now, she said, the club is closing again until it receives more information from state officials.
“We’ll have to start readjusting back to not being an operating business,” she said.
Abbott ordered all bars and commercial rafting services to shut down Friday afternoon as the state’s infection rate passed 10%. The executive order also limits restaurant occupancy to 50% starting Monday. Local gatherings of more than 100 people must be approved by local governments.
“At this time, it is clear that the rise in cases is largely driven by certain types of activities, including Texans congregating in bars,” Abbott said in a press release.
Abbott’s order comes a day after Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley ordered businesses to require that people wear masks starting at 6 p.m. Friday. Coronavirus cases in Tarrant County passed 10,000 Thursday, with 517 new cases reported in a single day, according to the county wesbite.
Richard Fegan, spokesman for the Arlington Fire Department, said the department will conduct “spot checks” to ensure local businesses are following guidelines.
“Our focus continues to be geared toward education and compliance with the current mandates,” Fegan said in an email.
Under the order, bars may continue delivery or pickup services as long as they’re allowed under state guidelines. James Nguyen, a bartender at Hooligan’s Pub at 310 E. Abram St., said the bar would continue offering liquor bottles and craft cocktail kits for delivery. In the meantime, he said, he’s unsure how it will affect his and his coworkers’ families.
“We were doing well,” Nguyen said as he closed down the bar Friday evening. Regulars had returned and life returned to some form of normalcy. “It’s a pretty disheartening feeling.”
Nguyen said he’s looking forward to reopening when it’s safe and legal to do so.
“As soon as all this is over and done with, I’ll be happy to see everyone’s beautiful faces again,” he said.
This story was originally published June 26, 2020 at 4:08 PM.
