Bars Still Adjusting to Curfew Restrictions

The Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board Banned the Sale of Alcohol after 11pm

Dying from coronavirus.

Some bar owners say things have been difficult for them since the start of the pandemic and they've only gotten more difficult in august.

It's been 30 days since the alabama alcoholic beverage control board banned the sale of alcohol at restaurants and bars after 11 p- m.

Waay 31's max cohan joins us live after talking to a huntsville bar manager about the impact and what comes next, max?

Guys, mike groce, the manager of huntsville's lone goose saloon told me that the recent rule made a difficult situation even tougher...but said they're trying to figure things out to stay afloat.

This is just a situation that, regardless of how much experience you have in this, nobody's prepared for this, i mean this is just something that none of us have ever seen."

Groce told me that when bars were able to reopen after the initial shutdown, things were starting to pick up at the saloon.

But at the start of august, a new alabama a-b-c rule banned the sale of alcohol at restaurants and bars after 11 p-m -- a gut punch to the bar.

"those two and a half hours on friday and saturday night is the bulk of our business, so that's been a pretty drastic change.

It's something we're all dealing with on a week to week basis."

Immediately, groce said the bar had to start playing defense-- working to figure out where they could save money.

"i don't think we've suffered as much as some people have, but at the same time we've definitely taken some licks on this."

The first thing to go was the live entertainment they offer each weekened.

But now, in an effort to try to get more people into the bar before the cut off groce tells me they're planning to have some acts this weekend in a new, earlier time slot.

"you know, everything's a guessing game.

And you try something here and there, it works, it doesn't work -- so you just kind of go from there and learn, but you know, the bottom line is, we have to look out for our bottom line."

Groce told me he doesn't understand why they decided to cut off sales instead of just shutting bars -- but added he's very glad they didn't have to close.

Reporting live in huntsville, max cohan, waay