'Everyone feels helpless': Taken by surprise, Indianapolis bars rush to shut down — again

Bars in Indianapolis and Marion County must close again as Indiana sees cases of the novel coronavirus increase.

Mayor Joe Hogsett at a Thursday afternoon virtual news conference said the new health order applies to bars and nightclubs that were not permitted to be open during the first three stages of the state's reopening plan. Bar seating in restaurants must also close.

The shutdown begins Friday and will last through Aug. 12.

Further shifting nightlife in Broad Ripple will be a partial reopening to cars. From 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. each night, the Indianapolis Department of Public Works will reopen Broad Ripple Avenue to one-way vehicular traffic that's traveling east at the discretion of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

The street had previously been closed to allow bars and restaurants the ability to spread out their patrons, but police said pedestrians weren't following social distancing guidelines, according to a release. Barriers will be around restaurant seating areas using the street.

'Science doesn't wait a day'

Although Broad Ripple’s Vogue nightclub could have proceeded with a Thursday night rock show before the new mandate begins at midnight, the venue canceled a scheduled bill of Indianapolis acts Papa Warfleigh's Funk Revival, Tracksuit Lyfestile and Straight Up Chumps.

“Science doesn’t wait a day,” said Jason King, entertainment manager at the Vogue.

The Vogue reopened June 27 after more than three months of being closed during stay-at-home orders. King described Thursday's setback in the reopening process as a “Twilight Zone” moment.

“Until there’s a vaccine, I think we’re going to be living in this up-and-down world,” King said. “It’s tough. Everybody has extra stress and extra blame to go around. Everyone feels helpless.”

Dr. Virginia Caine, director of the Marion County Public Health Department, said bars and taverns have been sites of concern since Indianapolis enacted its mask order on July 9.

Caine said 75% of non-compliance citations have been made at bars and taverns. She said a $50 citation follows two complaints, with a warning being issued after the first complaint. The city has received 249 complaints regarding face-covering compliance.

“If we don't get ahead of our (coronavirus) cases very rapidly, then we have to look at where the risk of transmission is occurring and make recommendations accordingly,” Caine said.

King said no Vogue employees have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Regarding social distancing, the 900-capacity venue has accommodated 100 to 250 people per event since reopening.

“In a room our size, that’s plenty of room to spread out,” King said.

The challenges ahead

Those who run tasting rooms in Indianapolis had not heard about the decision beforehand and spent Thursday afternoon figuring out how to retool their businesses.

Charles Wright, director of tasting rooms at Hotel Tango, said it would resume its previous carryout service as allowed after the Fletcher Place tasting room closes. Included in its offerings were cocktail kits, which included sealed bottles of spirits tin their original packaging. 

"We learned a lot of things during the last shutdown that we can certainly apply," Wright said. "We had never done cocktail kits before, so that was a first for us. And we got very good at it. For what it's worth, we're more equipped for this than we have ever been."

According to the Indiana Alcohol & Tobacco Commission, Gov. Eric Holcomb's executive order that allows for expanded carryout alcohol sales has been extended to last until Aug. 3.

Wright also said that losing federal dollars from the CARES Act brings challenges.

"I don't think any of us disagree that it's absolutely necessary that this step is taken to curb the spread. But we're going to do everything we can," he said. "We just really hope that maybe locally and at a state level, there will be some things done to help us, help our employees."

Live music returned to the Melody Inn, 3826 N. Illinois St., in late June.

Melody Inn co-owner Rob Ondrish said it’s frustrating for businesses to close, open and close again in an unpredictable cycle.

“I do understand that they can’t tell you what they don’t know, but it would be great if they could say, ‘If it goes this way, we’re going to do this. If it goes that way, we’re going to do that,’ ” Ondrish said. “There are ways to handle not knowing that are less disruptive than other ways.”

Restaurants back to 50% indoor dining

Marion County also announced it is returning to a 50% capacity limit for indoor dining.

Many restaurants were already conservative with indoor seating so they could adhere to 6 feet of social distancing.

“This is where we’ve been operating for a few months,” said Eddie Sahm, owner of Sahm’s Restaurant Group. 

Eleven of its 18 properties, including Sahm’s Tavern & Big Lug Taproom, are temporarily closed. Those that are open have no inside seating. Even outdoor seating is at less than 50% capacity, and they have required employees and guests wear facial coverings since May.

“It’s kind of where we’ve felt safe already,” Sahm said.

Black Market restaurant, 922 Massachusetts Ave., also has had no inside seating and only a few tables for standup dining on its outside patio since it reopened six weeks ago.

“For anyone who has been seating inside, this is detrimental to them. Most are on their last legs, crying for help. It’s tough right now,” said executive chef Esteban Rosas. “This seems like a mini shutdown again.”

The general manager of Maxine’s Chicken & Waffles, 132 N. East St., fears it will mean longer wait times that will cost the restaurant customers.

Maxine’s would normally have 24 tables in the dining room, Austin Bonds said. It was up to 18 with social distancing guidelines. Even then, diners would be told on weekends that there would be a 45-minute wait.

That’s been a deal-breaker for some, Bonds said.

Now the restaurant must reduce available tables by six.

“Normally a lot don’t want to stay and wait, so you end up losing that customer for the day,” he said.

The rollback is a blow for those places that rely on late-night drinking, said Patrick Tamm, president and CEO of the Indiana Restaurant & Lodging Association.

The industry is calling on customers to take precautions — wearing masks, practicing social distancing and frequently washing their hands — to get cases down so that the restaurants and bars can eventually operate at fuller strength.

“We've always encouraged guests to do the right thing," he said. "Now, more than ever, we need guests to do the right thing to ensure the economic viability of restaurants and bars for the future so that we can continue to employ and bring back team members."

Contact IndyStar reporter Domenica Bongiovanni at 317-444-7339 or d.bongiovanni@indystar.com. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @domenicareports.

Contact IndyStar reporter David Lindquist at dave.lindquist@indystar.com or 317-444-6404. Follow him on Twitter: @317Lindquist.

Contact IndyStar reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at cheryl.jackson@indystar.com or 317-444-6264. Follow her on Twitter: @cherylvjackson.