Bars dealing with orange zone designation

By Johnathan Ciolek

            With COVID numbers on the rise, bar owners have realized that the leaves are not the only things changing colors right now.

            On Nov. 18, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced stricter restrictions as part of Erie County was moved to an orange zone.

            In an orange zone designation, residential and nonresidential gatherings are limited to 10 people. When it comes to restaurants and bars, only outdoor dining with four people per table, takeout, and delivery are available.  All high-risk, non-essential businesses, such as gyms, hair salons, and personal care services located in an orange zone are to close.

            Bobby Rhab, owner of Mister Goodbar, 1110 Elmwood Ave., said he feels COVID-19 is a very serious issue and needs to be treated that way.

Mister Goodbar owner says "be smart, stay safe."

      “COVID numbers are real. The people that are affected by this virus are real,” Rhab said. “We are fully committed and compliant with all New York State regulations. We will continue to comply until we are allowed to safely reopen.” 

               According to the New York Department of Health, Erie County currently has a little over 25,000 confirmed cases. On the West Side of Buffalo alone, there are almost 1,500 confirmed cases.

            These high case numbers are problematic for any business trying to operate. Rhab said that this is not easy for anyone right now.

            “We want to be part of the solution and not the problem,” Rhab said. “Times are difficult for all of us in the city, state, and country. The only way to get through this is to be smart and stay safe.”

            Other places, such as Forty Thieves Kitchen & Bar, 727 Elmwood Ave., are attempting to still operate safely by launching new takeout hours and delivery options through DoorDash and GrubHub.

            Tommy Cowan, owner of Forty Thieves Kitchen & Bar, thinks that it’s best to limit the time interaction with customers.

            “We have just launched new takeout hours from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday through Saturday,” Cowan said. “We just need to be smart about this entire situation and this is one way we can do that.”

            According to MarketWatch, delivery services, such as UberEats, DoorDash, GrubHub, and Postmates, brought in about $5.5 billion in combined revenue in the months of April through September. This is more than double what these companies made during the same period the previous year.

            With the Erie County daily positive rate near 10 percent and 8 percent in Western New York, the switch to a red zone could become a reality.

            New restrictions for a red zone designation would prohibit any type of mass gathering, whether it be residential or nonresidential. Also, only essential businesses would be open. This means for any bars and restaurants offering outdoor dining, the switch to strictly takeout and delivery will need to be made if possible.