Tobago bar owners eye post-SoE business boom

Bar owners in Tobago are hoping business will improve by the end of the month, when the state of emergency (SoE) is lifted.

On Saturday the Prime Minister said the Government had no intention of seeking an extension of the SoE, which has been in place since May, currently with 10 pm-5 am curfew restrictions.

Emergency regulations also prohibit the drinking of alcohol in public places.

From October 11, bars were opened to vaccinated members of the public, but they were not allowed to drink alcohol on the premises. These establishments were allowed to run at full capacity and serve alcohol to vaccinated customers from November 1.

Business owners have also lamented the closure of beaches, which has limited the number of Trinidadians wanting to spend time on the island.

Newsday visited several bars on Friday, but their owners owners, speaking on condition of anonymity, complained of a slow start.

In Crown Point, the streets were a ghost town during the after-work liming hours of 4-6pm, but by 7pm, customers were seen trickling in to enjoy the cool ambience of the evening.

One bar owner said the low turnout wasn’t a surprise. Bars nearby didn’t fare much better.

Across Shirvan Road, one popular bar owner said business had been slow since the reopening of  the industry, but she seemed hopeful that business would start rolling again closer to the end of the month and into the December vacation period.

At her bar, social distancing was noticed by the few who gathered there, while  customers were seen producing their vaccination cards on entry.