Colorado bar owner Morgen Harrington joined the group fighting COVID-19 orders in the state saying, 'We won't survive another shutdown.'
This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Republican presidential field,
Brian
small businesses, fighting for
survival as rerestrictions
tighten up across the country
out in Colorado. One hundred businesses
are making a pact to keep
operating. Despite increased
lockdowns warning. If they shut
down again, they will never
reopen
joining us. Now is Morgan
Harrington. She is the cfo of
grim brothers, brew house, which
has signed onto the pact
Morgan. Was this a tough
decision for you?
It was. This is not anything
these businesses take lightly
Brian. What did you learn in the
three month? Shutdown that you
experienced already that left
you in your mind, no other
choice
that we wouldnt survive.
Another shut down.
Brian? Did you get any
government aid to bring you
through to this point?
We did, but not enough to
bring back our original staff
and certainly not enough to keep
our business afloat on another
open ended, shut down
Brian you didnt open up
business as usual. You made
adjust you meants right.
What adjustments did you make in
compliance with what your state
wanted?
We spent thousands of dollars
to make big time changes to our
business and removed fifty percent of our
seating.
Brian. You were able to eke out
a living, and then you find out
you are going to be struck down
again
now. Has politician come down
and said here is what im up
against?
What can you do for us?
How can we work together?
No
Brian, you would have been open
to that right,
yeah
thats, the whole point of why we
got together and did this
right was to kind of give a cry
for help so that someone would
step in and help us come up with
policies that would make more
sense
Brian. If they want to come in
and crack down on you, they will
be successful.
Are you going to crack down on
one hundred small businesses from gyms
to retail, to bars to
restaurants?
I hope the answer is no,
but they got this power of
taking lookalikes and destroy a
business instantly.
Look at restrictions take out
dining closed. Curbside delivery
allowed
only meet with members of your
household
last call on premises.
800 p, dot M bars must close
when you heard about those
restrictions, your thoughts
you for us that was really
scary.
We dont have an outdoor patio
and we are only allowed to use
our parking lot for extended
patio seating on Saturday and
Sunday. That would mean that we
would be closed exception for
two days a week,
thats not enough for us to pay
our bills
Brian. What does your business
mean to you,
its everything for us?
We dont have another option,
Brian. What about the people
that work for you
yeah
thats, a big support of why we
all decided to do this?
I cant look my staff in the
face and lay them off again.
I refuse to do that right before
Christmas.
We have got one woman that is
pregnant and she was in my
office crying.
I couldnt do that
Brian, how many cases tied back
to your restaurant since it
reopened
None
Brian. How frustrated do you
feel right now
were incredibly frustrated?
The grocery stores are allowed
to operate under fewer
restrictions than we had before
the shutdown
and its a madhouse when you go
in there
and we cant operate with
incredibly strict restrictions.
That feels like a direct attack
on small businesses.
Brian. I wanted you to hear what
the governor said.
I am sure you heard the
statement. The governor has great
sympathy with every small
business wanting to stay open
and one
reasons Colorado is one of the
first states to reopen and avoid
a lock down like neighboring
states have
also why he called for a special
session
wave fees for Colorado,
restaurants and bars.
The hard truth is that this is
the worst point in the pandemic.
Our nation has faced yet
go back to bars and restaurants.
What about yours
and whats? Your reaction to that
statement, as we close
yeah
bars and restaurants, are not the
main source of this spread,
but they are the main. The
brunt of this back, the thats
not a logical way to go about
this,
a conversation to better come up
with policies that fit for
everybody,
Brian, you elected them to serve
you.
Instead, they and looking out for
your interest.
They are destroying you, and now
they are going to be destroying
one hundred businesses. Together,
we will see if there is strength
in numbers.
I know a lot of states across
the country are looking at this
wondering how this comes out.
Morgan hang in there thanks so
much for joining us and telling.
Transcript generated on 2020-12-01.