East Grand Forks restaurant, other regional businesses spurn shutdown order
Some businesses reopened on the same day Gov. Tim Walz announced an extension of his shutdown order at a news conference. Walz announced bars, restaurants and breweries would be allowed to serve patrons outdoors at 50% of the business’s capacity to a maximum of 100 people, which he admitted may not be entirely feasible given the season. Indoor dining will remain off limits until Jan. 11. 4:15 pm, Dec. 16, 2020 ×
Joe Bushaw, owner of Joe s Diner said he needs to reopen or he will lose everything. Adam Kurtz / Grand Forks Herald
Joe Bushaw, owner of Joe’s Diner in East Grand Forks, is among a number of business owners in Minnesota that have reopened, or are planning to, in defiance of an executive order that closed them to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. That order, with modifications, has been extended to Jan. 11.