We nah go can survive - Bar owners grateful they can reopen, but still foresee losses

Community bar operators across the Corporate Area are grateful for the opportunity to reopen their businesses.

But these small businessowners fear that they won't be able to survive, even with the government's stipulations, in an already challenging time.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced on Monday that effective May 19, community bars would be allowed to open for a probationary period of two weeks, under strict guidelines.

Among them, no more than five persons, including the bartender, are permitted to be inside a bar at any one time, and no stools, benches, chairs or tables should be made available to those persons inside.

Holness also said that it was contemplated for bartenders to wear face shields and aprons.

Cut by more than half

"Why would I agree with that? I don't think that make any sense," Austin, a 28-year-old bar owner told THE STAR. "Me nuh feel like we a go can make money none at all. Me nuh think nuff people can afford fi do all of that. The likkle money weh yuh make affi buy up back goods and stock up again. On a regular, put it seh me a see round $85,000 a weekend. That a go cut by more than a half."

He says he is more concerned about the increased chances of robberies.

"Me did more worried about the mask weh dem seh people affi have on fi come in a the bar. My biggest concern a the mask thing and the robber them. It nuh matter if a night or day ... people will rob yuh same way and yuh nuh know who a who," he said.

Shernette Jackson, another bar owner in downtown Kingston, says there is no way to win under the new rules.

"I will definitely lose! After I pay rent for the space, pay worker and pay light bill, the money done clean," she said. "This (the guidelines) is telling people to just come, buy and leff. But we make our money when people sit down and order three, four more rounds. I think him (Holness) trying to keep us in the loop, but we nah go can survive."

Meanwhile, Kareen Rowe says she agrees with Holness' stipulations, and will work towards obeying them once her bar is open.

"I am going to set up the sanitisation station ... that can be done. I don't have a problem with only five people being allowed inside ... it will have to work," she said.

"Right now, I don't make that bother me. The prime minister is doing this for all of us. It's for our own good. Yes, I am losing because this is what I live off of, but I am glad I have life. We were closed for all this while, so getting the chance to be open only mean that things will be better off," she said.