Bar owners send message to Governor about reopening during protest at State Capitol

Bar owners send message about reopening to Governor Ducey during rally at Arizona State Capitol

Bars across the state, along with other businesses, have been hit hard by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic

PHOENIX - Bar owners and workers gathered at the Arizona State Capitol on the afternoon of August 20 to deliver a message to the Governor: They are ready to reopen, and do so safely.

State health benchmarks are strict for bars, but not for restaurants that remain open. Connolly’s Sports Grill owner Brian Cavender tried to apply for a waiver to open

“When it got rejected, it said 'hey, we’ll let you open if you go to 25% capacity, close at 10, and tell everyone to eat food or drink,'" said Cavender. "You had this in mind already. Why didn’t you give us that two weeks ago so we can get busy and get open?"

For many, it’s not about denying there’s a health crisis. It’s trying to get on a level playing field, and to illustrate that, some tractors were driven in from Cave Creek in support of their favorite watering holes.

In the meantime, there aren’t many options for those who rallied. Their tabs are still open with no money coming in.

“You put a lot of people out of work. Bartenders their family. You put people out of work for no reason. Give us the guidelines and let’s live by those rules," said one person.