Many businesses and industries have been hit hard by the persistence of COVID-19. Recently, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt but into place an executive order to have all restaurants and bars close at 11 p.m. except for curbside and drive through windows.

Local bar owners feel that the mandates are negatively affecting their businesses, since they have barely recovered from the previous lockdown in spring.

“I saw what the press was saying, I saw the numbers coming through, I saw the hospitals filling up and that they only had so many beds,” said Charles Miller, owner of Ridin High in reference to the beginning of the pandemic. “We cater to an older clientele and locked down prior to even the town. I didn’t want my customers to get it here.”

Miller and his wife Tricia, were among bar owners that expressed how the 11 p.m. closing time cuts into bar money as most business doesn’t pick up until around 10 to 10:30 with many bar patrons consisting of restauranteurs that have closed their restaurants.

Additionally, they cite that the people they have to kick out at 11 will then go on to gather in other places, therefore making the closure time irrelevant.

“[We] kick out fifteen people at 11 p.m. and they then go to the casinos afterwards,” said Trisha Miller. “I think the governor could’ve done more than just shut bars down.”

The Millers likened closing town at 11 p.m. to Wal-Mart having to only stay open from 8 a.m. to noon.

“I’d have much rather seen a statewide mask mandate or shut everything down at 11,” said Trisha Miller.

Bar tips are how many bartenders and servers pay their bills and without any sort of relief, bars could begin to close down and both owners and bartenders would be out of a job.

“We’ve implemented several things to make the club safer and we don’t mind implementing some more,” said Charles Miller. “We’re out here for the public, we just hope the public can be out here for us.”

The Millers and other bar owners are exploring options to get their plight noticed by the Governor and to help them continue to stay in business and avoid being specifically targeted by these mandates.