ORLANDO, Fla. — The state of Florida is targeting bars as one of the root causes of the spike in coronavirus cases in Florida.
What You Need To Know
- Owner of Manikin Lounge trying to hold onto business for as long as possible
- Per the executive order, Floridians cannot drink alcohol inside bars
- COMPLETE COVERAGE: Spectrum News | CDC | Florida Department of Health
Friday, the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations says you cannot drink alcohol inside a bar, as the agency suspended the consumption of alcohol at bars statewide.
There’s no special on the menu that can help Tom Morris and his Manikin Lounge in downtown Sanford at the moment.
“We have no food,” said Manikin Lounge owner Tom Morris. "We have nothing else — we are just a bar.”
The bar industry across the state is shaken once again by the pandemic.
“(I’m) just going to try and hold on as long as I can and pray that this doesn't last forever," Morris said in an empty bar. "(I) hope there is a vaccine or something so that I can try to hold on.”
No drinking means no business on a busy Friday night. The reality of no tips for his bartenders is sobering.
“Devastated," said bartender Brianna Ballinger. "As a single mom, this is my main source of income.”
The bartender who offers suggestions to regulars is now the one looking for answers.
"We don't know what to do," Ballinger explained. "I am in the position figuring out, do I need to start selling things? Do I need to figure out how to get another job somehow?”
The executive order that went in to effect Friday as of now has no listed end date. Meaning there is no indication as of right now how long this ban of drinking at a bar will last.
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