SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Following California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new guidelines for some businesses in California, Sacramento’s Mayor Darrel Steinberg doubled down on the voluntary restrictions.
Newsom requested that all bars, nightclubs, brew pubs, and wineries close. He asked all restaurants to limit their regular capacity by half. On Sunday, Steinberg urged businesses to follow those guidelines. He asked restaurants to go further by moving to home delivery and curbside pick-up only.
The announcement came as a shock to many business owners and employees in the service industry.
“We’re doing everything we can to keep our businesses open while protecting the public health,” said Ken Anthony, owner of Device Brewing.
Anthony says he has a deep concern for those affected by the virus. He also has growing concern for his employees and his business.
“Closing down all of our retail locations could severely put our business at risk,” Anthony said.
Device has implemented increased sanitation policies but does not plan to close until it is mandated.
Sacramento area bartenders and servers are worried about their workplaces closing, too.
“It’s real nerve-wracking. I just don’t want to lose my hours,” said Mateo Pineda, a bartender at Finnegans in Old Sacramento. “You know, I still gotta pay bills, rent, stuff like that. So, just no job it’s just gonna make it harder to get on by.”
Several area businesses plan to continue operating despite the request to close. They say they’ll implement increased cleaning policies and stay open until a closure is mandated.
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