Smaller Bars Allowed to Reopen in Michigan

I know what you're thinking, bars reopened a long time ago. That is true but it didn't apply to establishments that earned more than 70% of their gross receipts from sales of alcoholic beverages. Gov. Whitmer had put a stop to indoor bar service at nightclubs and other establishments that mostly served alcohol.

Finally, smaller bars can reopen under the order put out by the Department of Health and Human Services this past Friday (10/9). The new order did away with the previous 70/30 rule that Gov. Whitmer put in place over the summer.

According to WOOD TV8, following last week’s Michigan Supreme Court decision overruling Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s executive orders, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services put out similar orders of their own—one of the few differences doing away with the 70/30 alcohol distinction.

Scott Ellis of the Michigan Licensed Beverage Association:

It didn’t make sense that just because they serve more alcohol that COVID is going to spread there. I didn’t know where the science was behind that.

Over the past few months, we've been hearing horror stories about small bars from all over the state that had to close their doors for good because of the 70/30 rule that Whitmer put in place. In my opinion, the new order was long overdue.

I can't believe it's the middle of October and we're still dealing with all of this.