dgau@marshallindependent.com
Independent file photo
A file photo shows Elsieâs Cafe in Clarkfield in the times before COVID-19. The cafe was among 150 Minnesota businesses that re-opened for indoor service in defiance of Gov. Tim Walzâs executive orders. Cafe Owner Natasha Lynne said takeout food orders alone werenât enough to keep a restaurant afloat in a small town.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been tough for bars and restaurants and with indoor dining prohibited for the second time this year, things weren’t getting better, two area business owners said.
“I literally have had three negative balances in my business checking account this month,” said Fred Schmidt, owner of Freddy’s Sports Bar in Lake Benton.
Latest on COVID-19 in MN: 24 more deaths; new caseloads slowing
southernminn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from southernminn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Minnesota restaurants are being punished severely for defying orders to close
bizpacreview.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bizpacreview.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
State cracks down on bars and restaurants opening against order
southernminn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from southernminn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Last week, Alibi Drinkery in Lakeville became the epicenter for the debate over how far Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has gone in banning indoor dining and gathering at bars and restaurants in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Local elected officials, however, are speaking out against the decision by owner Lisa Monet Zarza, who also owns Alibi at Froggy Bottomâs in Northfield.
The Lakeville bar opened at 11 a.m. Dec. 16 in defiance of the executive order ban on selling alcohol for in-person consumption, which was extended into January by the governor later in the day. That announcement was carried on Alibiâs television sets, as people crammed into the bar to eat, drink and be merry.