Bars, restaurants could face permanent closures in wake of Coronavirus ... so support them by getting carry-out

The state-wide shutdown of bars and restaurants is going to take its toll. (Photo by Pilar Mundro/Flickr.)

It was inevitable — Gov. Andy Beshear this morning ordered bars and restaurant dining rooms across Kentucky to close by 5 p.m., following the lead of other states like Ohio and Illinois.

Speaking to the media on Sunday, Beshear threatened to do so if people continued packing into places in large numbers. "I'm not going to be the governor who acted two weeks too late,” he told the press. One day later, he made good on his threat.

So, for the foreseeable future, your favorite restaurant, neighborhood bar, local brewery, etc., will be off limits other than the possibility of carry-out food. Life in Louisville, which largely revolves around bourbon tourism and a thriving culinary scene, is going to change. A lot.

Many distillery tours across the state have been shut down already and a number of spring events, including several Kentucky Derby Festival events, have been canceled or postponed as well. Of course, even with those, there were still options for getting out of the house. Grabbing drinks or a meal with friends is a favorite pastime of, well, probably most everybody in town.

And, unfortunately, it’s possible if not likely that, depending on the length of the governor’s shutdown, some of these establishments will never reopen. Many restaurants rely on the lead-up to Derby for their very existence year to year. With travel being minimized and the threat of a long-term shutdown, will Derby weekend even happen in early May as planned? We don’t know. We only know that Churchill Downs officials are looking into contingency plans.

So, what happens to restaurants or small bars that struggle to keep their doors open anyway? What happens to newer restaurants that spent a ton of upfront money and/or secured financing when suddenly there is nothing coming in? Not to mention food waste, lost workers and other factors? Let’s face it, there are thousands of hospitality professionals who will have to find other employment during this shutdown.

One of our most popular posts in Hello Louisville’s short history was our first-look piece on Jake and Elwood’s in Clifton. After pushing opening day back a week, the Chicago-style eatery was set to open today. Owner John Thurlow hired a full staff, no doubt was prepped with plenty of food for the anticipated opening, and now it’s on hold indefinitely. He will likely take a loss on much of the food, and he could lose employees if the shutdown is extended. But he isn’t flinching.

“I would like to thank all our vendors, employees, guest and neighbors who helped and/or wished Jake and Elwood’s good luck on our opening today,” Thurlow said on the restaurant’s Facebook page. “Regardless of the current situation we find ourselves in we are pushing forward and cannot wait to become a mainstay in the Clifton community!”

And, yes, the restaurant will open as scheduled for carry-out, we just won’t be able to watch a Cubs game there anytime soon.

Unfortunately, this shutdown is a necessary evil. The first Coronavirus death in Kentucky was announced at the same time Beshear ordered the shutdown, which is significant. As the old saying goes, better safe than sorry. But it’s going to hurt. A lot. Nevertheless, public health comes first every time, or at least it should.

So, fire up Netflix and Hulu, hunker down and find other creative ways to ride this out, but also be sure to get carry-out from your favorite spots — keep supporting these local businesses as best you can. And let’s all hope when the smoke clears, we won’t lose too many of these unique local businesses that help make Louisville what it is.