Colorado bars remain closed except for those with retail food licenses

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Legends Rock Bar in southeast Colorado Springs isn't solely a bar, it's also a restaurant with a varied menu -- and that combination has allowed it, and other businesses like it, to reopen while regular bars remain closed.

Governor Jared Polis, and the approval of a variance request for El Paso County, cleared the way for combination bars/restautants to reopen this week after two months of being closed or limited to curbside, pickup and delivery service because of health orders during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"A lot of it was vague to us," said Randy Fishburn, who has owned the bar with his brother and father for more than 20 years. "The variance wasn't approved until Saturday night and I didn't get the clearance to open from the health department until Sunday."

Polis declared Monday that regular restaurants can't officially reopen for interior dining until Wednesday, and they -- along with bar/restaurants -- must follow certain requirements.

Many restaurants have been preparing for the changes for weeks, but Legends waited until Monday afternoon and needed only a few hours to get ready.

"We removed 50% of our seating," Fishburn said. "The rule is half of your seating and no more than 50 people inside at a time. Normally we can get 250 people in here for live bands and special events. The tables are spread out to six feet apart. No more than eight people can sit at a table."

But Fishburn admitted that people sitting at a table will be closer than the recommended six-foot distance.

"We'll just have to hope it's a family group or the same social group at a table," he said. "I'm not sure how we'll enforce that. Maybe have someone at the door asking customers who come in. We have patios in front and back that will help with capacity. But it's going to be hard to make money with limited seating. We won't be able to pay for big national bands to cone in."

Fishburn said in two months since the health orders began, his business earned only four days' worth of sales.

"I'm not sure how all of this will work," he said. "It helps that we own our building sand the property around it. So we don't have to pay rent as other businesses so. But it's going to be hard because people come to a bar to be social, to be close."

Other changes include eliminating entertainment that involve close social contact, such as darts, pinball machines, board games, pool and karaoke. Also, chairs have been removed from along the bar counter and customers will not be allowed to sit or stand there unless they remain at least six feet apart.

"Another thing that's vague in the requirements is whether karoke or live bands are allowed," Fishburn said. "It also doesn't say how long we can stay open."

On Monday, he said until he's told differently, he's staying open until the traditional bar closing time of 2 a.m.

No more than a dozen customers were in the bar at any one time on Monday night, either as individuals or in small groups. Several signs at the front of the business welcomed customers and informed them that the business was open.

Johnathan Felder, a Legends regular, took in the new atmosphere Monday.

"It's going to slow things down and it's going to take a lot to get used to," he said. "I feel like to get this whole situation behind us, we might as well let everything open up regularly. It's costing these businesses too much money to run at 50% capacity. But then, I don't want to get sick, either."

Fishburn said masks will be recommended, but not required, for customers.