Dec 31, 2020
In early June, diners were able to enjoy lunch at spaced out tables outside Blue Bricks. Gov. Tim Walz eased guidelines to allow bars and restaurants to reopen in outdoor spaces at reduced capacity, but in mid-November he again ordered them to halt indoor service.
MANKATO â Local restaurants, bars, gyms, salons, entertainment venues and shops have gone through a COVID rollercoaster ride in 2020, filled with twists, turns and heart-stopping falls.
Those in leisure and entertainment businesses have been financially and emotionally pummeled with waves of closures, partial openings and re-closings.
After struggling to stay afloat with takeout service and some outdoor and limited indoor service, restaurant and bar owners were devastated when Gov. Tim Walz in mid-November ordered restaurants and bars to again close indoor dining because of a surge in cases that threatened to overwhelm hospitals.