SHAWANO, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The Safer at Home order has kept bars closed for months, but some local bars decided to open their doors anyway.
“Do what you gotta do,” said Jeff Stachowiak owns Lighthouse, a bar and restaurant in Shawano.
Stachowiak tells FFOX 11 the chairs in his restaurant will remain empty until the Safer at Home order is lifted.
“I’ve been doing okay on takeouts and paying the bills and stuff. I’ve been in this for awhile so this is different for me but people starting out are going to have problems.”
It’s why his beer taps continue to go unused.
But not all business owners agree.
The owner of the Blind Squirrel, another Shawano bar, admitted to opening Thursday night. While he refused an on-camera interview with FOX 11, he says he isn’t the only one opening his business against the order.
Stachowiak says it all started with a meeting earlier this week.
“It was more of a community meeting than tavern league but everybody just got together and voiced their opinion and wondered how they could get open and most of them are doing that.”
According to Stachowiak, plenty of people came to the meeting to voice their opinions not as many were willing to voice those opinions on camera.
As for Shawano County Sheriff Adam Bieber, who has made it clear he won’t be enforcing the Safer at Home order, he didn’t answer any of our calls for comment.
As reported in mid-April, Bieber posted to Facebook citing a violation of constitutional rights as the reason he won’t be enforcing the order.
