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Bars and restaurants throughout Des Moines cannot function without customers. But many once-bustling establishments have become ghost towns in recent months, with no one on the streets and no chairs on patios. How are restaurant and bar workers coping?

Many local bar and restaurant owners have had to cut their numbers in half, and some have even had to shut down because of COVID-19.

“We had to shut down for the whole thing,” said bartender Logan Russell. “We didn’t find out any information on when we were going to open back up. With us, it was the fact that we were always busy — that is what made it a good bar. And by taking it to half capacity, it would change the demeanor of everything.”

“For a while, you could only be eating and drinking. If you were drinking, you had to eat. A lot of people didn’t like that because they couldn’t come in for a beer with their friends or after work or on their lunch shift.”

Logan Russell

Governor Kim Reynolds’ newest proclamation states that restaurants and bars are to close at 10 p.m. because of the rising cases of COVID-19. This proclamation hurts the bars immensely because most bars start getting most of their business at 9 p.m. and later.

According to We Are Iowa, “Jessica Dunker with the Iowa Restaurant Association said the governor’s office didn’t inform bars of the new closure until hours before.” 

Because of this many, restaurants did not have enough preparation time and lost money that they cannot get back.

In the We Are Iowa interview, Dunker said the restaurant industry was already down by $1 billion after the first shutdown, which is about 25%. She said now it’s around 75%.

Restrictions have also impacted bars without food service more than bars/restaurants.

“For a while you could only be eating and drinking,” Russell said. If you were drinking, you had to eat. A lot of people didn’t like that because they couldn’t come in for a beer with their friends or after work or on their lunch shift.”

Bartender Oriana Kaufmann said some customers have not been quick to become angry with workers who are trying their best in these hard times, but most customers have been more understanding and patient because of COVID-19. They understand that most of the requirements and rules are out of the hands of the employees.

“COVID-19 has presented us with challenges,” Kaufmann said. “We have had to roll with the punches and ride the waves of the changing policies and stipulations that the state has put in place.”

“The staff has really come together. Morale is low, but in general, we are all in this together, and that really shows throughout the teamwork that we see.”

Oriana Kaufmann

Both Kaufmann and Russell said that because of COVID-19 the staff has become stronger and more supportive of each other.

“The staff has really come together,” Kaufmann said. “Morale is low, but in general, we are all in this together, and that really shows throughout the teamwork that we see.”  

Russell has noticed a similar trend.

“Everyone supports each other no matter what day it is,” he said. “Yeah, we get it’s COVID, but everyone wants everyone to succeed. We get excited when we see another employee get a really good tip on a table.”

During these hard times, it is good that the employees know that they have a good and healthy environment to work in.

Although COVID-19 has brought a lot of changes, Kaufmann said we just have to remember that we are in this together and that going through this will make us stronger.

“You never really know what tomorrow may bring so, I try to make the best of today,” she said.