Bars and nightclubs have been missing from many people's weekend routines for some time now and it hasn't been an easy adjustment for everyone. Many owners, employees, and customers have been suffering from the result of Texas' night scene shutting down but they might not have to for much longer. Texas bars could reopen this weekend thanks to, in part, the Texas Restaurant Association. The Texas Restaurant Association and its president, Emily Williams Knight, "have been working with a group of bar owners to draft a plan to present to Gov. Greg Abbott’s office," according to NBCDFW. The "Texas Bar Promise" includes a detailed way of "softly reopening" these establishments in hopes of getting many people back to work. The plan was submitted to Abbott's office over the weekend and with hopes of reopening by Friday, May 15. For that to be the case the decision would have to be made very soon. In order for the plan to be a success, all 10-points from it would have to be followed. Hopefully, this is enough to catch Abbott's attention. @mcuban need to connect with you on PPP. I’m CEO of the TX Restaurant Association and working with Congress to get needed changes. You can help - less than 8 percent of TX hotels and restaurants secured PPP money. So much pain!— Emily Williams Knight, Ed.D (@EWilliamsKnight) April 30, 2020 The plan consists of points such as "coordination with local city governments to maintain the suspension of road closures in entertainment districts" and "the adoption of single-use plastic cups and paper plates." Even things like "all staff must wear masks during operating hours and encourage patrons to wear masks" will be strictly enforced if bars are reopened. The Harvard Global Health Institute shows Texas is "already doing enough" #COVID19 tests to begin reopening business.This analysis goes beyond the uninformed notion that one test number fits all states.Still, Texas is ramping up testing.#txlegehttps://t.co/MAaU98CmLF— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) May 12, 2020 According to a tweet from Abbott this morning, Texas is "already doing enough #COVID19 tests to begin reopening." The next step is figuring out if bars and night clubs are able to in a safe manner as well. “Texas has been phenomenal,” Trump said.We appreciate the President and his team being available 24/7 to help Texas fight against #COVID19 and to put us in a position to open up business.Texans will prevail.#txlegehttps://t.co/Ti4aqTPIjK— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) May 7, 2020 Abbott tweeted earlier this month that Trump has shown nothing but approval for the way Texas has handled its reopening. Now, bars and night clubs must wait for their own stamps of approval. The restaurant industry has been the hardest hit by #COVID19, suffering more losses than any other industry. Tell Congress to support the Restaurant Blueprint for Recovery to help our industry get the support we need: https://t.co/6BghviEuRR#TakeActionTuesday #RestaurantRecovery pic.twitter.com/8PZoVsrHu4— Texas Restaurant Association (@TXRestAssoc) May 12, 2020 The Texas Restaurant Association took to Twitter to reveal that the "restaurant industry has been the hardest hit by #COVID-19, suffering more losses than any other industry." They later announced that "25% to 30% of independent restaurants will not survive the pandemic" unless something is done to help them stay afloat.
