SPOKANE, Wash. — Washington Governor Jay Inslee announced new restrictions for businesses in light of the coronavirus pandemic on Thursday, including mandating bars to only hold outdoor operations and cutting off alcohol sales at 10 p.m.
For some local businesses like restaurants and bars, this comes as another blow amid a tough few months.
"This hit after 10 p.m. for our beverage-based businesses, it's going to be a good hit, it's going to be tough to overcome it. It's almost like going to phase one for us," said Matt Goodwin, who owns several restaurants and bars in Spokane, such as Remedy, Press, Volstead Acts, Backyard Public House, and Barnwood.
He also said that this is just one in a line of changes that has made operating restaurants more difficult during the pandemic.
"It's been challenging. The restaurant business is tricky and very regulated as it is, it seems like the new mandates for the pandemic changes hourly, so we are on our toes to make sure we are doing our part mandates put in place," said Goodwin.
When Goodwin heard about the new mandate, he said he thought about his employees, and how it would affect them.
"It'll be a good hit to our bottom line, probably 40 percent of our business is done after 10 p.m. We'll feel that for sure," said Goodwin.
In particular, Press Public House may be hit the hardest for Goodwin. Located on the South Hill, it's the only bar of his that currently closes at 2 a.m. that will have to change now. He said he'll be opening his restaurants and bars a few hours earlier.
"Most of the time, people like to socialize and have a beverage with friends after work in the evening time. We're hopeful it helps out a little bit, but definitely won't take the hit we'll take from this," said Goodwin.
He's been looking at the brighter side of all of this though.
"It's a new challenge, a new twist, but after we do it a couple times it'll be a new wrinkle in this pandemic," Goodwin said.
He said he understands the importance of public safety, but he wants to keep his staff up and running. As far as what he thinks of about Governor Inslee's new mandate, he wants to abide by the rules.
"I'm very pro-business, very pro keeping my employees working, and keeping our economy going forward.," Goodwin said.
Reema Shaver, owner of Bistango Martini Bar, feels the same.
"We're running a very lean schedule. I'm working a lot more [in] slower months [like] July and August, but you know, now I'm a hands-on operator," said Shaver.
Shaver's martini lounge has been a staple in Downtown Spokane for 15 years. But as part of Governor Inslee's phased plan, she had to close her business down for 3 months.
Then, the protests happened.
"I had to actually board up Bistango for over a week. We finally reopened on June 11," said Shaver.
With a great June, she was excited for the weeks and months to come, but now, she understands business could slow down, as most of her customers like to come during the late evening hours.
"Especially this time of year, people have the tendency to come out later. They're enjoying the outdoors, want to hang out later on. We see a very slow time after 8 [p.m.], 8:30 [p.m.] then it will pick up a lot," Shaver said. "So yeah, it will hurt us a lot."
Even though she's considering possibly closing her venue down, she said it's not a decision that she's going to make hastily.
She added that she respects everyone that comes into her restaurant, and she hopes to feel that as well.
"If you're not comfortable please stay home -- we are doing our best, we have taken very strong financial losses, because we are very invested in our community," she said.