like
like bars
like bars and restaurants
billions
billions of dollars. And after nearly a year ... there are some local
restaurants
that say they're not going to
follow the
STATE MANDATED COVID-19
guidelines.
That's while others say they're
walking
on eggshells ... worried about
being targeted.
Roxanne Elias digging deeper to
get answers.
get answers.
get
get answers.
Undercover video from the Ohio Investigative Unit shows customers
customers
Undercover video from the Ohio Investigative Unit shows customers
customers
not
not following the COVID guidelines
guidelines
inside
inside The Lagoon Saloon in Port Clinton. The O-I-U lists the violations
as after-hours consumption and
sales and improper conduct.
But outside ... it's quiet ...
tucked away from any main road.
While it
gained attention for the
violations from
the state ... loyal customers
know it
for its pizza and view of Lake
Erie.
Erie.
"I
"I bought
"I bought this business in May 2006 and every years been getting
better and better, except for
this year. I mean people blame
the pandemic, but I blame the
politicians. So, and it's been
devastating. Without the PPE or
the loans, we couldn't be
surviving right now." DJ Coles
is the owner. And by the tone of
his
voice, you may be able to tell
he's
frustrated with all the COVID
regulations and guidelines he
says
says threaten his business daily.
daily.
"This
"This is
"This is my livelihood. This is how I pay my bills."
Drive
Drive about an hour northwest ... and you'll find La Chalupa in
Point
Place.
Point Place.
Place.
Place. "COVID has affected us in a lot of ways. You know, it's been
very very
hard to keep our doors open for
our customers. We have to follow
so many regulations." "Like
tonight is a Friday night and
normally we'd be
really busy packed, but you know
we haven't been really busy."
Nights like these
are disheartening for Jazmin
Carmona, who is a manager and
server at La Chalupa. On top of
that...The Mexican restaurant
and the Lagoon Saloon have been
slapped with costly citations
from the Ohio Investigative
Unit.
Unit.
"The
"The violation happened back in March of 2020. Supposedly, what we did wrong is that we were
selling 32 ounces of the
margaritas when we were allowed
and permitted to sell then you
know. But
there was an anonymous caller
that called in and reported that
we
were selling the 32 ounces when
we
were allowed and permitted to
sell
them. But supposedly we weren't
allowed and permitted to
sell them." Eric Wolf ...
enforcement commander with the
team ...
"Most of these locations that
have
received these citations. You
know, you walk through the door
and there's just, you can tell
the
persons are packed in. They're
standing 2 or 3 deeps sometimes
at the bar. Shoulder to
shoulder. Waiting for drinks,
wondering around the premises
with
drinks in hand." Based on state
health orders, restaurants and
bars must follow strict rules.
Those include a ban on alcohol
sales after 10 P-M, social
distancing
and customers and staff wearing
masks when actively eating or
drinking. Rules the owner of the
Lagoon Saloon says he feels just
aren't far.
"Very infuriating because the
state
issues us a license, so I would
think that would be what
regulates and
governs our business to operate.
But they feel otherwise. And
so, I just feel it's
discriminatory and
its arbitrarily unfair for us. "
This is undercover video taken
by
agents at Lagoon Saloon. Wolf
says
says
the
the level
the level of compliance is what dictates if a location will receive
a citation or not.
"We've received 3 citations. The
first
was a 400-dollar fine. That's
for the
10-o'clock last serve call. And
then
then the
then the second one was the same thing. And then the third one was like
at 8-o'clock. It was the most
recent.
And that was for people not
wearing
masks or social distancing."
Carmona and Coles strongly
believe the punishments are too
harsh and that they are being
targeted. Wolf is adamant, it's
not
the agents....but other
businesses
following the rules or patrons
calling
in repeatedly.
in repeatedly.
"The
"The Ohio
"The Ohio Investigative Unit is not targeting any specific location.
Most of these visits that are
taking
place are all complaint based.
So, as we receive multiple
complaints
about a location, we will visit
them
multiple times."
? Since March 15th of last year,
the O-I-U has made more 25-
thousand visits to liquor permit
businesses. Of those, more than
4
thousand were curfew visits. And
they've received more than a
thousand complaints related to
health orders. Out of those
visits
and complaints - 347 citations
were
issued. Note, agents have the
ability to only give a warning.
In
In
Toledo
Toledo alone they've made 31. But if you receive a violation, it could
cost you hundreds if not
thousands of
dollars in fees...or even your
liquor
license.
liquor license. "Yes, we have had locations
across
Ohio that have lost their
licenses
because of repeated violations
and basically statements made
by these permit holders that
they
were not going to follow these
department of health orders." In the end, it's up to the Ohio Liquor
Control Commission to hand out
the punishment.
Places like La Chalupa have
ended up paying thousands.
Carmona says they're doing
everything possible to keep from
being
slapped with another violation.
"We haven't had any more
citations
you know. We've been following
all
the regulations and the rules
you know.
you know.
So
So we
So we don't get any more citations anymore." But then there are businesses owners like
DJ Coles, who says his customers
are old enough to
make decisions for themselves.
And
he's willing to bend the rules
in order to
keep the doors open.
"So, I offer the Ohio
Investigative
Unit one meeting if they want to
pay
my mortgage and my insurance,
and
my utilities, till it's safe to
reopen. I
would gladly do that. But
they're not
gonna do that."
Reporting for WTOL 11, Roxanne
Elias.
Elias.