TABC investigating Fort Worth bar at the center of 'Freedom Fest'
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission conducted 1,600 inspections and suspended liquor licenses at 18 bars last weekend after owners across the state said they would open in defiance of Gov. Greg Abbott’s shutdown order.
The effort, dubbed Freedom Fest, was organized by Chris Polone, the owner of the Rail Club Live, a Fort Worth bar and music venue. The Rail Club Live opened Saturday, Polone said, with about 40 people in attendance.
Polone said before the event that he was “trying to highlight a double standard” that certain businesses can remain open in Texas while others cannot. “If COVID is truly that bad, shut everything down. Don’t pick and choose. I think [Gov. Abbott] understood that bars are the little guys in the service industry.”
Experts say bars can promote the spread of COVID-19 because they’re often cramped and loud, leading patrons to yell and stick close together as they socialize.
Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/food/restaurant-news/2020/07/28/tabc-investigating-fort-worth-bar-at-the-center-of-freedom-fest/
