LAWRENCE, MASS. (WHDH) - The city of Lawrence is cracking down on coronavirus restrictions by shutting down businesses that officials claim are just bars masquerading as restaurants.
Amy Wentzel-Melman owns The Gateway Pub on Merrimack Street, one three bars that the Lawrence Licensing Board ordered to close. She said she has done everything she can to comply with state regulations to reopen her business but, now she she fears it might be closed for good.
When inspectors arrived unannounced on Wednesday, said she was not given the opportunity to state her case for why her establishment should be allowed to remain open.
“We were on the agenda for possible revocation of our license which was shocking,” she said. “So, I attempted to attend the virtual meeting that started at 6 p.m. on Wednesday and at 6:01 I got a message that the meeting was canceled.”
Just then, Wentzel-Melman said she received a call from one of her bartenders who said they were being forced to close.
“I can see that you don’t want to pack 200 people into a nightclub in Boston or Lawrence,” she said, “but that’s a little different.”
The bar recently underwent a $10,000 investment to accommodate social distancing guidelines indoors and on the patio. Wentzel-Melman said she pulled food permits and partnered with a caterer so that she could reopen earlier this month.
“We were starting to make a little money, get caught up on old bills,” she said. “We were told we could open and then just over two weeks later they came in and shut us down because of the food issue. After they gave us a food permit telling us that we could do this.”
Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera acknowledged the tough situation but said his hands are tied. He said the city has to enforce Gov. Charlie Baker’s order stating bars stay closed until Phase 4.
“I think people forget that we are still in the middle of this COVID-19 crisis,” he said. “So, we want to stop the spread and the way that you stop the spread is to make sure that those places where people are most likely to get COVID-19 are not functioning.
Rivera mentioned a program the city launched on Monday called the Shared Streets program where business owners may apply for up to $5,000 in reimbursements to try to recoup some of their lost revenue.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)