BROOMFIELD, Colo. — On the eve of their fifth anniversary, North Side Tavern, a popular restaurant in Broomfield, is one of the latest restaurants to close its doors.
The owner, Steve Bauer, said he believes all levels of government should have done more to help the restaurant industry as many counties now sit in the red zone of the COVID-19 dial.
"You would think that the first people they would want to take care of the most are the most vulnerable and in our industry we have a lot of those. The fact that they couldn’t come to an agreement that’s disheartening a bit," Bauer said.
Starting Monday, North Side Tavern will close its doors. Bauer said the numbers weren’t adding up after having to focus only on takeout.
"And I did a little analysis of the numbers and we lost $2,000 in three days just having the staff on, plus the management, plus the rent," Bauer said.
Bauer said he is confident the tavern will live to see another day. It’s his employees he’s worried about.
"One of employees that’s come a long way in her life came and said, 'Hey boss, guess what? What? I’m pregnant.' And then she looks at me and says 'Why do you look sad?' And I look sad because I made that decision to close," said Bauer.
Still, Bauer is hopeful the state will be able to provide a lifeline and possibly support expanding the 5-star program currently being tested in Mesa County. It allows businesses that follow public health guidelines to stay open.
