Over the weekend, Wolff's Biergarten in Schenectady got their liquor license suspended because they were not following the new laws and regulations put in place since Covid hit. Apparently people were lined up at the bar drinking with no social distancing and no one was ordering food which is a requirement. There was also a staff member not wearing any mask at all. Because of that, the bar lost it's liquor license for a period of time. Now keep in mind there are also Wolff's locations in Albany, Troy and Syracuse. They have NOT had their liquor license suspended though Wolff's in Albany did get a warning at one point. Matt Baumgartner, the owner of Wolff's did write an open letter stating that he was not at the bar and he thought things would be okay because one of his most trusted bartenders was on duty. Unfortunately, his bartender didn't do his job. He said he will do better. But even more interesting, a waitress at a nearby restaurant/bar also penned an open letter, and this is what she had to write. Her name is Gabrielle.
"To anybody that chooses to go out please understand that State Liquor Authority is not working with us, they are against us right now. When a bartender/server tells you to please ask to be seated, to wear a mask while standing, or that you must order food – we aren’t doing it to be rude. We are doing it in fear of losing our liquor license. This isn’t a joke or a game to us. We are working ten times harder than ever to make sure YOU are happy. YOU are safe. YOU can enjoy an evening out. We are constantly saying “put your mask on” “please sit down” it’s not fun. I have multiple signs all over our patio saying to please put your mask on while walking onto our patio. But people continue to argue with us. These are not our rules. We are enforcing rules that have been told to us. Please do your part, if you choose to come out for a drink you need to order food. It’s not up for discussion. It’s a whole new world and anybody in service industry will agree with me that this is getting harder each day, we are SPRINTING from the kitchen to the patio with a mask on. We are exhausted, we are working tirelessly to make it an enjoyable environment. Please work with us and not against us."
So whether you believe in Covid or not, whether you believe in the new regulations or not, keep in mind, the only people you're hurting by not following the rules are the bar owners and bar employees. Well, and yourself because it will be one less place you can go if they get their license suspended.
So will you still go out to bars/restaurants? Do you follow the rules when you go? Do you get annoyed at the staff? Let me know what you think about all this on the TRY Facebook page.