Bar and restaurant owners react to Ohio's 3-week curfew

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Many bar and restaurant owners say they are relieved that Governor Mike DeWine did not issue another statewide shutdown or force their businesses to close.

Last week, DeWine said he may be forced to order those businesses to close if the state's COVID-19 case numbers did not decline. That announcement prompted more than two dozen bar and restaurant owners to rally in opposition to a shutdown outside of the Ohio Statehouse.

"A second shutdown would be devastating not just for my business, but for every business in the hospitality industry," said Amy Schirtzinger, owner of McClellan's Pub.

Schirtzinger, along with a number of other owners, watched together as DeWine announced a statewide curfew, which will begin Thursday. The curfew will last for three weeks during which most businesses will be forced to close from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. This will move up last call, which was already set at 10 p.m. due to the pandemic.

"I am pleased to see that it's not a shutdown," said Schirtzinger. "It's a little frustrating that there are still more regulations, but we will at this point take anything over a shutdown, and the ability to make money and survive is key in our industry."

Every business owner NBC4 spoke to said they are hopeful that all bars and restaurants will follow the health and safety guidelines laid out by the state, as many have already been doing.

"We can't make it again if we have to be shut down, so we need to do this collectively and do it right," said Elton Sargent, owner of Prohibition Gastro Lounge.

The owners said they are concerned about the possibility of a shutdown still coming in the weeks ahead.