Pictured above, Cricket’s Grill and Draft House encourages customers to be conscious of COVID-19 by wearing their masks in the bar. (Photo by Alli Cross on Feb. 10, 2021)
By Natalie Conrad, Shelby Crisp, Alli Cross, Matthew De Tullio, Avery Dishaw
Local bars and restaurants in Lubbock have readjusted their operations due to COVID-19 by implementing new guidelines to safely reopen and operate.
Jack Thurman, a bouncer at Cricket’s Drafthouse + Grill, said since the bar has reopened it has been difficult to keep the atmosphere fun and entertaining, while at the same time adhering to COVID-19 guidelines.
“We closed back in March and opened back up around December,” Thurman said. “One of the biggest challenges is trying to police everybody and making sure that everyone has a mask on.”
According to the Texas Health and Human Services, all customers and employees in any bar or restaurant are required to wear a face covering whether it is feasible to maintain six feet of social distancing.
Thurman said new rules at Cricket’s include no more than 10 people at a table, face masks required at all times, no customer is allowed to walk around, and customers are not allowed to stand around the bar area.
“You have to grab your drinks from the bar and go back to your table,” Thurman said. “There are stickers on the floor for you to wait in line and order.”
Matt Lawry, a bartender at Logie’s on Overton, said the bar was closed for almost two months after closing the beginning of summer in 2020.
“When we reopened, they came in with hazmat suits and COVID tested everybody,” Lawry said. “We were considered a hotspot for COVID at the time.”
Lawry said the bar had just opened at the beginning of 2020 before the forced shut down. Since reopening, the bar has implemented new ways to safely operate.
“Now, since we have reopened, people can’t come up to the bar,” Lawry said. “Now we have to go over to a table, get their order, come back to the bar, make the drinks, and take the drinks out to them.”
Lawry said with the new guidelines, the process of making and giving drinks to customers takes longer.
Above, Logie’s has removed many of their tables to allow for social distancing. (Photo by Alli Cross on Feb. 10, 2021)
“It’s kind of tough because people want to come up and order at the bar,” Lawry said. “But we have to tell them ‘no, we can’t do that.’”
According to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, businesses that were not considered restaurants and sold primarily alcohol had to apply to qualify as a restaurant under Governor Abbott’s COVID-19 executive orders.
The website states businesses had to apply for an Alcohol Sales Reporting Affidavit and a Food and Beverage Certificate.
“People come out to the restaurant and bar to have a good time,” Lawry said. “And we have to be the ones to tell them to sit down and wear a mask.”
Lawry said, since reopening, the bar went from 25% capacity, then 50%, and now operating at 75%. With more people allowed inside, it is more difficult to serve everyone, he continued.
“You have to have enough tables, you have to wait for those tables, and people still aren’t allowed to come up to the bar,” Lawry said. “It’s very hectic, and if we ever do reach our capacity there are too many patrons and not enough people working.”
Thurman explained in order to keep business at Cricket’s, there are promotions and weekly specials to attract customers, and the bar is active on social media platforms.
“We do karaoke every Tuesday and Thursday, we also have drink specials like whisky Wednesdays,” Thurman said. “We also have a mug club, a membership that allows members to use that mug and receive more beer.”
Kristen Lindsey, a server at The Range, said the business was shut down for a while due to bartenders not wearing masks.
She said The Range is a local Lubbock golf course and country club. They have an indoor area with a bar, as well as an outdoor area that allows guests to golf.
“We actually got in trouble because some of the bartenders weren’t wearing a mask,” Lindsey said. “We got shut down in December for a little bit.”
Lindsey said the business was able to reopen, but they were not able to serve alcohol.
“The City of Lubbock said we were going to be shut down for 30 days,” Lindsey said. “Somehow the owner got around it, and we opened four days after we got shut down, but we couldn’t serve alcohol.”
The Range is a new business to the city of Lubbock Lindsey said, and since the pandemic there were worries about how business will be.
“You’re definitely worried if you’re going to get business because it was a new location,” Lindsey said. “And that was a big worry for the owner.”
Above, The Range reminds all customers to maintain their distance. (Photo by Alli Cross on Feb. 10, 2021)
The Range has guidelines set in place for everyone’s safety, including masks being required inside the building as well as signs to help keep guests socially distanced.
“Everyone has to be masked up inside the building, and to go to the bar we made signs to enter and exit so we don’t mix people,” Lindsey said.
Lindsey said The Range also has hand sanitizing stations, as well as extra cleaning and sanitization processes.
“The outdoor area of The Range is pretty big, so people are able to spread out, and I don’t think anyone was really nervous to come and play golf,” Lindsey said.
Lindsey said The Range is spread out, which makes it a safe place for people to come have fun.
“People are trying to spread the word that it is a safe place to go right now, nobody’s really coming in close contact with anybody,” Lindsey said.
Lindsey said people were more nervous when the pandemic first began and were hesitant about coming to The Range, but now people are more relaxed, and business is picking back up.
“It is a good local business to support, I think people should come and check it out,” Lindsey said.
Thurman said it helps businesses stay afloat when people come out and support local Lubbock bars like Cricket’s, because it keeps them from getting shut down.
“I would like to encourage everyone to keep supporting small businesses, especially for bars right now,” Thurman said. “They really want to shut us down, and it really helps when people come in.”
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