'Tears': Owner Fears Holbrook Bar Won't Survive Coronavirus

HOLBROOK, NY — Bars, restaurants and other establishments across Long Island have been deeply affected by the state-mandated closure to attempt to stem the spread of the new coronavirus. JDC's Tailgaters Sports Bar, at 1083 Main St., Holbrook, is one of them.

Depending on how long the indefinite closures last, the bar may not survive.

"Tears," Dorielle Bennett, the owner, told Patch her initial response was. "I don’t know if there can be any other reaction at this point."

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The measure, which doesn't allow customers inside certain businesses and limits shops to takeout and delivery orders, comes after the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended banning all gatherings over 50 people as a way to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The industries closed Monday night and New York, New Jersey and Connecticut will coordinate a reopening date, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.

There are three coronavirus-related deaths and 97 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Suffolk County as of Tuesday afternoon, officials said.

JDC's Tailgaters Sports Bar, which opened in February 2019, has no financial cushion, Bennett said. The bar initially struggled due to the building having a history of changing hands.

"I was just starting to get over that hurdle," she said. "I figured this spring, I’d actually make a profit...that’s funny."

The bar may survive if the mandate is lifted within two to three weeks, Bennett said. Until then, she still has bills to pay.

"I’m running out of money," Bennett said. "That’s the honest truth about it. If this goes more than two weeks, maybe three at the most, I don’t think there’s a way to recuperate. Everybody’s going to be hurting economically."

The bar is also at a disadvantage because it doesn't serve food. That means hungry customers can't order to-go meals.

"Bars that don’t have food are done," she said. "They’re crippling us. And there’s a lot of us. They have literally paralyzed every bar owner who does not serve food."

Bennett also works as a real-estate agent, but said the real estate market will tank as a result of the country's current economic situation due to the coronavirus. She added she hasn't done real estate since the summer, because she was concentrating on building her bar.

"I have two jobs that aren’t worth anything at the moment," she said.

Before the state shutdown all bars and restaurants to on-premises business, Bennett said she had been taking precautions to help prevent COVID-19 from spreading. The bar had switched to plastic cups only, made hand sanitizer available and was cleaned multiple times a day. Still, Bennett's sports bar business had been hurting severely, she said, as every major sports league has postponed or canceled its seasons.

When the dust settles on the coronavirus, Bennett said she hopes she'll still be able to serve her clientele.

"My customers are great. They’re wonderful people."

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