SAN ANGELO, TX – Thanks to Governor Abbott bars in San Angelo can reopen but which bars will be back open? At least one establishment has shut down permanently. Another, said the owner of Blaine's Pub, is considering its options.
As previously reported, on October 7, Governor Greg Abbott announced that if county judges approve then bars can reopen at 50% capacity. Check out the original story here: WATCH Gov. Greg Abbott Finally Reopens Bars. Friday afternoon, in a joint statement by Tom Green County Judge Steve Floyd and San Angelo Mayor Brenda Gunter, the local authorities cleared county and city bars to re-open Oct. 14 at 12:01 a.m.
This announcement came after politicians across the state began pleading to Abbott to reopen bars, the tasting rooms at breweries, and distilleries. Local leaders such as Mayor Brenda Gunter and Rep. Drew Darby wrote letters to the governor advocating that bars and venues be allowed to open.
Some bars such as the Chadbourne Tavern, the "ChadTav," were unable to switch to a restaurant forcing the nearly a decade-old business to keep their doors shut. Now ChadTav owner Fernando Fuentes says he is ready to open back up. Other bars opening up include Fiddlestrings and the Dead Horse.
Then there are bars that didn't make it out of the shutdown. The Tilted Mug in Southwest Plaza called it quits. According to owner Frank Zaranskas the bar will not open on the 14th. He says that rent was still charged to the bar even while he was forced to close, forcing him to shut the bar's doors forever. The closing may open other opportunities, however. Zaranskas said karaoke and comedy fans should not worry because he is already looking for another spot to open up a similar bar concept.
One of San Angelo's iconic bars, Blaine's Pub, is still undecided if they will be able to open their doors. "I'm going to try to open," said Cody Sturm, owner of Blaine's Pub. The "bar of your dreams," a staple of the Texas Country Music circuit since 1997, was forced to close its doors at the beginning of the pandemic. Due to the set up of the building, serving food to get around the mandated shutdown was just not an option for Sturm. During the shutdown, Sturm frequently complained of the government mandated closure and this morning said his motivation to open by the 14th, or at all, is waning.
"We'll just have to wait and see," Sturm said. If Blaine's does reopen on the 14th, it may be able to claim to be the first bar open since the shutdowns. Blaine's Pub's hours are 7 a.m. until midnight weekdays and 7 a.m. until 2 a.m. weekends.
Another club in town that has reopened is Desiree's Preferred Gentlemen's Club. They reopened at the beginning of October and claim that they are following social distancing guidelines. "Come out and support. Remember Masks On and Tops Off," stated the gentlemen's club's Facebook page.
Subscribe to the LIVE! Daily
Required
Post a comment to this article here: