KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — Starting Monday, Knox County bars will be closed for at least two weeks. This comes after the Board of Health approved the order last Wednesday.
The board of Health's main goal in closing bars for is to curb the spread of coronavirus in the county. Bars and breweries said they found out the same time the public did, after a BOH vote July 29.
The regulation is set to expire Aug. 20, but the board could extend it. It does not restrict bars from still offering to-go drinks or food.
It applies to businesses that generate 50 percent or more revenue from alcohol sales.
Local bars and breweries forced to shut their doors yet again after a couple of months of being reopened brought uncertainty to owners.
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That includes small, local breweries. Those owners aren't happy to be lumped into this closure. Next Level Brewing Company said their atmosphere is much different from a typical bar or night club.
They had worked hard to follow all the health and safety guidelines set during the reopening phase and are afraid the surprise closure could be the nail in the coffin for business.
"It's gonna be a big hit to our revenue and our income and whether or not we can continue to stay open becomes a bigger question," Next Level Brewing co-owner Rick Cox said.
"That's like saying Norris Lake and the Atlantic Ocean are the same thing. They're bodies of water, but that's about it," Next Level co-owner Nathaniel Sears explained. "You know, we're not a college party bar."
Those owners said they, along with the Knox Brewers Association, plan to file an appeal this week to have breweries excluded from that closure regulation. They believe the term "bar" can't be used as a one size fits all blanket term when it comes to closures.
Overall, local bars and breweries understand the reasoning behind shutting down the "hot spots" in the county, but believe the BOH should focus more on limiting social gathering sizes.