Less Regulation May Be Key to Saving Bars
At the epicenter of the pandemic in America, a top New York cocktail bar owner has some thoughts on how the government can help speed recovery along.
Mace, in Manhattan’s East Village.
Photographer: Melissa HomNews that New York’s famed Pegu Club was closing for good upset bar lovers nationwide when the announcement came at the end of April. The 14-year old bar founded by Audrey Saunders had helped pioneer the craft cocktail scene; dozens of top mixologists trained there.
While restaurants have gotten a lot of well-deserved attention since coronavirus-related closings took effect in mid-March, bars have, for the most part, been left out of the conversation. The situation looks especially grim in New York, where many of the best places to drink are set in small, low-ceilinged spaces that are not conducive to social distancing.