Bar Owners Fear Impact Of Latest Texas Coronavirus Shutdown: 'This Will Be A Pretty Massive Hit'
DALLAS and FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - Sitting in an empty bar Friday night, Macy Moore was still trying to absorb the news that Governor Greg Abbott ordered the closure of Texas bars again due to the latest surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
"It's a bit surreal to be right back in it," he said.
Just one day earlier, Moore, the owner of HopFusion in Fort Worth told CBS 11 he didn't think the government would resort to another shutdown of businesses.
"I don't think they're going to make us close again," said Moore.
He woke up to learn bars statewide would have to close again indefinitely by noon.
"It's a sucker punch," he said. "This will be a pretty massive, massive hit."
It was just five weeks ago bars were allowed to reopen and celebrated the return of customers.
Taylor York showed up in Deep Ellum Friday evening to find some of those same bars shuttered.
"Now I just feel like they're going to shut everything down again," she said.
At Lee Harvey's, manager Timm Zyblut was turning away customers who hadn't heard they were closing.
"We just found out today," he told one man.
He says he sensed this shutdown coming, but it hasn't made the news any easier to accept.
"I really don't think it's sunk in with me yet. I don't know how long it's going to be. I have a feeling this time it's gonna be for a while. I just hope they get it right this time," he said.