Owner Loy Merck says his business, which reopened its outdoor area in mid-January for weekend service, was losing money in the fall because of limited capacity and shorter hours; nonetheless, he decided it was worth reopening now that the State of Colorado is allowing it.
Erik Ludwig, who s been the Meadowlark s general manager for the past nine years, says being open has been a double-edged sword, because he wants to take care of his employees as much as possible. You ve got to balance it with being as safe as possible, he says. Then trying to make the financials work is a whole other ballgame, because it s just so different than before. The sales are just so different. We re down 75 percent, at least.”