A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
Kalee Monahan and Jeremy Bushey toast on the deck at the Rendezvous Bar in Scanlon Monday. It made life feel more normal, Monahan said. "The restrictions aren't fun," Bushey said.
The riverbank at the River Inn may have been the prettiest place to drink Monday. From left, friends Zach Gleason, Chris Conway, Adam Dowd, Megan Bird, Kimber Felix and Jarred Loosen give a cheer to the lifting of some restrictions on bars and restaurants as Minnesota tries to reopen slowly for the summer after stay-at-home orders in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Mary Kay Wihela and Marie Bonneville linger at a picnic tables under the carport at Family Tradition restaurant after having supper there Monday.
Patrons enjoyed the shade in a tent behind Carmen's
Carmen's owners and brothers Zach and Ryan Zezulka were plenty busy Monday.
Clockwise, from left: Raeanne Bergren, Chris Shevich, Ryan Bergren and Brad Tyman enjoy drinks and conversation outside the Moose Lodge in Cloquet Monday evening. "It's a perfect day," said Ryan. "The problem is, this is northern Minnesota, not the Twin Cities. So when it rains those servers will get nothing."
The Jack opened with lots of extra tables in the parking lot behind the downtown Cloquet bar.
Thank goodness the sun came out. Monday marked the first day people could eat at restaurants and drink at bars - outdoors only, not inside - since Gov. Tim Walz began issuing orders to keep people at home and nonessential businesses closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although many local restaurants have been offering curbside or delivery service for customers, most bars have simply been closed for almost three months. There's been a lot of remodeling and cleaning, but minimal revenue, so the reopening is a relief for most bar owners.
Customers, too. Most seemed elated to be at their favorite watering hole, drinking in the late afternoon sun on Monday.
"Super excited," said Chris Shevich, perched at a high table outside the Moose Lodge in Cloquet, talking with Raeanne and Ryan Bergren and Brad Tyman. More people chatted around two other tables behind them.
Local restaurant and bar owners are taking creative measures to try to increase seating capacity outside. A giant white tent sat in the parking lot of the Third Base Bar in Carlton. Across the street, the Streetcar added a smaller tent adjacent to its patio seating. The Rendezvous eliminated seven parking spaces closest to its already expansive deck and put picnic tables there.
Gordy's Hi-Hat added more picnic tables to the grassy areas surrounding the parking lot. The Jack was doing a brisk business that evening, with tables dotting the deck and parking lot behind the Cloquet Avenue bar.
Mary Kay Wihela and Marie Bonneville lingered at picnic tables under the carport at Family Tradition restaurant.
"I eat at least one meal a day here, even during the stay-at-home order," Wilela said, adding that she also got creative, arranging to meet friends there, parking side by side to enjoy a communal meal from their cars. But Monday there were picnic tables, so they decided to sit at a table together instead.
According to the current order, tables must be spaced at least 6 feet apart and reservations are required. Servers must wear masks and customers are encouraged to wear them. No more than four people are supposed to sit at a table, unless they are family members.
At Carmen's on Big Lake Road, all of the deck tables and many tables inside a brand new tent were filled with customers, and owners (and brothers) Zach and Ryan Zezulka were busy, busy, busy.
They were thrilled with the turnout.
"The whole staff is kind of surprised at how many people actually came out today and participated in some kind of eating and drinking," Zach said. "People started stopping in early, saying hi, maybe grabbing a beer before they got on with their day. It's nice to see some familiar faces and catch up with folks we haven't seen through the curbside sales."
Monday wasn't a day for drinking alone. All around Cloquet, Scanlon, Carlton and across the Northland, people gathered for drinks and, to a lesser degree, food.
Restaurants and bars are making efforts to sanitize. Zach said they had a company apply a disinfectant spray to both inside the restaurant and all the outdoor tables. The spray kills the coronavirus, he said, and is supposed to last for 90 days. They are also using hand sanitizer and spray disinfectant regularly, and taking employee temperatures before work. All employees are wearing masks.
On the other hand, customer masks were scarce Monday - it's hard to drink or eat with a mask on - and social distancing was in effect between tables but all bets were off if people were gathered around the same table.
At the River Inn in Scanlon, a group of friends sat at a picnic table and on nearby chairs as the sun lowered in the sky, and a calm St. Louis River reflected the trees along the opposite shore.
"I'm just happy to be back being social," Jarred Loosen said. "I'm such a social butterfly. I missed hanging out with friends and just having fun."
Kimber Felix agreed.
"We're just out enjoying the night and doing our part to support the local businesses," chimed in Adam Dowd.
Over at the Rendezvous, Kalee Monahan and Jeremy Bushey enjoyed a drink or two together on the deck.
"It's nice to get out of the house and do something again," said Monahan. "It just feels normal."
Not every bar got back to a new normal this week.
NorthEastern Saloon & Hotel owner Bert Whittington said he is honoring arrangements made for summer events, but he's not opening the historic bar until people can sit inside. It doesn't make sense economically he said, with the restrictions on numbers.
"The inside of the NorthEastern is the star of the show, so I will wait," he told the Pine Knot News.
Cloquet Bar and Lounge was still closed Monday as owner Jesse Dugger and friends finished up a renovation project inside. He was hoping to find time on Tuesday to clear out the relatively small outdoor space behind the bar so they could have some outdoor seating.
"I thought we'd be completely open by now," Diggens said. "I can't imagine we are much worse than a Walmart or an L&M. But we're looking forward to seeing everyone again. It's been a long time."
