Looser virus restrictions now in place for Marion County bars, restaurants
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Monday was the first night of looser coronavirus restrictions in the county, but there was no rush on business just yet.
The dinner crowd was a little sparse, as expected at The Tap. After all, it is a Monday.
Still, closer to midnight, when most other places along Massachusetts Avenue have shut down, Chris Martin, vice president of operations at the bar and restaurant, said it’s a different vibe.
“Almost every night, we’ve had to go on some kind of wait,” he said.
There are two big changes in effect as of Monday for bars and restaurants in Marion County.
Bars can double their capacity to 50% and they can stay open until 2 a.m., rather than midnight, as was previously part of the health order.
“The extended hours will be a big help certainly on weekends,” Martin said. “Capacity will help weekends as well, but I think every day.”
For now, Martin said the plan is stay open until 1 a.m. during the week and 2 a.m. on weekends, but it all depends on demand.
He expects a 10% revenue boost at least, perhaps as high as 25% as the weather continues to warm with March Madness later this month.
“Ten percent would be a huge deal for us and everybody I think.”
That big deal is evident in other ways.
It’s pretty quiet at Condado Tacos and a few other places up and down Mass Ave, too, but there’s fewer staff than usual.
Martin expects things to pick up this weekend, but it may take even longer to really bring things back to a new normal.
“It will take a few weeks for people to get back into habits,” he said.
Considering the pandemic has come in waves, Martin said nothing would surprise him, including stricter restrictions at some point in the future. Still, he’s hopeful the worst is over.
“Watching it the entire year, I think the health department and the city has been a little more deliberate this time in making the changes so we’re probably safer to say these changes are going to stick.”
The other change in restrictions is for restaurants in Marion County, which can now move up to 75% capacity from 50%.
One restriction Martin said he hopes is lifted soon is the six-person limit per table because many of the surrounding counties are up to 10 people per table.