Anchorage bars gear up to open in phase 2

The wait to go get a drink after work will be over in Anchorage on Monday, but those going out to their favorite bar since hunker down mandates started will see it won't be the same as before.

Under

of the municipality's plan to safely reopen the city, bars will have a number of restrictions to adhere to to stay open.

One of the most impactful measures will be the fact that bars will have to operate at 25% of their total capacity. This will make for much smaller crowds at many establishments, but several bars that Channel 2 reached out to said they will be waiting to reopen until the restrictions are less strict.

Other measures under the mandate are similar to Phase 1 changes to restaurants in that; customers will have to sign a log with their first and last name and phone number; staff and customers will need to follow social distancing protocols; and the only people that can sit together at the same table are people who live in the same house.

At the Time Out Lounge in Midtown, General Manager John Ivanoff said they've been redoing the bar with their hunker down time. He said they're still finishing up, but should be ready on Tuesday.

Like so many others, Ivanoff said they had to lay off most of their staff of about 20 people. Now that things are opening up, he said they're going to bring about a third back to do the essentials like sanitation, security, oversight, and bartenders.

With all the new rules they need to follow, he said he's hoping the customers help things run smoothly.

"I think at this point, people are going to hopefully be understanding and know that it's in all of our best interest to be safe, and protect themselves and others," he said.

Ivanoff said Time Out is one of those bars where they can really count on their regulars showing up, which they have a lot of. He feels reopening will be a big boost of community morale while coronavirus continues to be the top concern.

"It's sort of a family of people that come in," he said, "I think it's going to be great for them to just come out and see the people they haven't seen in a while. No hugging, no kissing, you know air hug or whatever you have to do, but I think it's going to be great for people."

When they do, the main night-shift bartender John "J.D." Dave said he's ready to pour their drinks while being safe about it. He said he and the rest behind the bar will be washing their hands between every drink and making sure people are sat far enough away from each other.

"It's going to be a process," he said, "that's the biggest thing that people have to understand. That we have to practice patience. We've got to play ball and play by the rules."

J.D. said it won't be fun to turn away some of those regulars if they're at capacity. In that event, he said they're going to have to tell those folks that they may have to come back another time, or utilize curbside service that they'll continue to do. He's betting on their loyalty to get through this Phase.

"They come here because they like it here. They probably came in here before I showed up, they'll probably be coming here after I'm gone. That's what makes them a regular," he said, "If we mess it up, we're going to go right back to closing everything down and staying at home, and I think the majority of people don't want that."