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This is the longest City Bar has been closed since it opened in 1927.

Sorry, Still Closed

Gym owners, City Bar owner frustrated not being able to reopen

Some businesses can have a soft opening, but some can not open at all, which has those businesses frustrated and upset.
Bar owners, hair salons, theaters, and gyms are not allowed to have soft openings or have curbside pickup.
On Monday, those owners were hoping to hear good news from Gov. John Bel Edwards. They were hoping to hear from Edwards that Louisiana’s economy is reopening, and everyone goes back to work.
Instead, they heard that certain businesses could not reopen until May 15. What that means is certain businesses will have to remain closed for another three weeks.
That was not suitable news for business owners who have been closed since the middle of March.
Three Vermilion Parish business owners were not happy with the news of having to remain closed for three more weeks.
Carl Hollier is the owner of the Olympus Wellness and Fitness Center in Nunez, and Jill LeBlanc is co-owner of SNAP Fitness in Abbeville. Both have had to close their doors and are losing revenue each day they remain closed.
“As a small business owner, forced to close since March 16, and remain closed by the Governor’s mandate until May 15 or later, it is an economical and financial strain, which we may not be able to recover,” said LeBlanc. “Allowing selective businesses to stay open and others to randomly have ‘soft-openings’ or to remain closed, in my opinion, is hypocrisy. We are suffering at the hands of political decisions. I sincerely believe I could be providing a safe haven for people to fight this pandemic, both physically and mentally. The heart and soul of Snap Fitness is community and comradery, and we all need both now more than ever.”
Hollier feels the same way as LeBlanc in having to remain closed.
“With all due respect and concern for everyone’s position and feelings on the ‘Stay at Home’ order and business closures that if you have never owned a business, you do not understand our struggles in this unprecedented situation we all face,” Hollier said. “I could fully respect anyone’s right to not frequent any of the businesses currently closed by the ‘Stay at Home’ order, but for government to close law-abiding private businesses, I can’t accept that, especially without even given a chance to provide a safe facility.
“Business income was taken away but financial obligations remain. Those who are still working I applaud you and respect all workers, but please be empathetic to the plight of your local businesses with no income but financial obligations.”
Matthew Trahan has cleaned and recleaned City Bar in Maurice. The bar has been open since 1927 or 93 years. For hurricanes, the maximum the bar would close would be for a week to 10 days. It will be at least two months by the time the bar reopens (on May 15).
He said the last six weeks have been a vacation that seems never to end. Hearing the new date of May 15 did not sit too well with him. Trahan has trouble understanding why large businesses in the state can open, but others can’t.
“I don’t understand how we can allow the Walmart’s and Lowes and some others to pile in people but small business (local) some can’t even open with 10 people,” Trahan said. “I also don’t understand why parts of Louisiana that don’t have significant issues have to follow the same guidelines as New Orleans who didn’t follow any stay at home orders in the beginning.
“If this continues too much longer, they will kill the small local businessman everywhere in this state,” said Trahan. “Some of them will have enough, and they’re at the age of retirement. They are just going to close down. The people that have been hit the hardest are going to be the bars, gyms, hairstylist, and restaurants because restaurants aren’t making what they should with their drive-through very few are.”

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