CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Bars in Texas will soon be able to reopen at 50-percent capacity as long as they comply with several conditions. But what about local bars that have already reopened by technically qualifying as a restaurant?
Alyssa Barrera Mason is with the Downtown Management District. She has seen the bars in that area transform into restaurants after the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission loosened up on filing restrictions in August.
First in line to refile was Casey Lain. He's the owner of the House of Rock in downtown Corpus Christi.
"We got that paper work, we made the flip and soon after we started noticing a lot of other bars flipping into restaurants,” Lain said.
”They [bar owners] paid the fee, made the modifications, met the requirements, filed the paper work and went through that whole process to try and get open.”
Now, about a month after TABC’s amendment, Governor Greg Abbott announced bars can open at 50-percent capacity at the County Judge's discretion.
If allowed in Nueces County, bars could sell alcohol again without having to worry about selling just as many food items. But the bars would have to follow similar safety guidelines as restaurants.
Dance floors must remain closed and all guests must be seated while eating or drinking, and must wear masks when they are not seated. Tables must remain limited to six people or less at all places and follow curfew guidelines.
Lain said in his case, it's just best to stay as they are now.
"Until we are back operating as a music venue, and in my opinion that's going to be a long time before we are ever shoulder to shoulder again and do things the way he have historical done for the past 15 years, so I think the best thing for us is to stay as a restaurant,” Lain said.
The City of Corpus Christi said they're seeing this transition from bar to restaurant not just downtown, but all over the city and it hasn't slowed down.
Michael Dice with Development Services said to make that transition smoother, they have complied a list of resources.
"We want to make development easy, we want to work with developers, owners, small business owners to make sure they can get up, get operating, get out and get back to work," Dice said.