WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Bars across California will be allowed to start reopening Friday, but it won’t be back to business as usual. Patrons can expect to see a number of new safety measures in place.
George Conley, co-owner of Cheers Bar, has been working to reopen his bar from the moment the coronavirus pandemic caused it to shut down. With a greenlight to reopen his bar in Yolo County, Conley's work is coming to the forefront.
“Our bartenders are required to wear face masks,” said Conley. “We’re in Yolo County, so our patrons are required to wear face masks as well, except when they are drinking or eating. So, they’ll have to come in with a face mask. When they get a drink, they’ll have to remove the face mask, drink, [and] put the face mask back on when they’re not drinking.”
The California Department of Public Health published a 14-page booklet of guidelines for reopening restaurants, bars and wineries. It gives guidance on everything from screening individuals as they arrive and cleaning and disinfecting protocols to giving physical distancing guidelines.
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Conley says his employees will be ready for the big day.
“It’s going to be a conscious effort to clean as often as we possibly can, especially after someone has touched a surface,” said Conley. “They have to be more conscious of washing their hands after... they do an activity such as touching money or touching a glass.”
He says it’s going to be strange at first for people like bartenders to don a new role as a sort of "social police."
“It feels kind of weird to have to tell a grown adult that you need to wash your hands after you come out of the bathroom, or tell a patron that they’re not practicing safe social distancing or safe social practices,” Conley said.
Despite the awkwardness, he knows it’s a necessary step.
“For us to be successful going forward, this is definitely a dynamic that changes for both us as the owners and also for the bartenders as well,” said Conley.
He has some advice for anyone planning to take advantage of the newfound freedom.
“If people are coming out, be responsible,” advised Conley. “Be mindful of what you’re drinking and what you’re doing and be courteous to the folks that are serving you. A lot of these folks have been out of work for three months, and they want to try to take care of the patron that comes in but everyone’s going to be frustrated with these new rules. Let’s try to roll with it as long as we can, and we’ll get past this over the next few weeks.”
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