One Year Later: A “heart-wrenching” week of uncertainty for SB businesses

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - After COVID-19 was officially declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020, Santa Barbara bars began bracing for big changes.

That was also the day the NBA suspended its season and large events like concerts and festivals began getting canceled en masse.

“After that happened, you could kind of see patrons becoming a little more cautious,” said Phillip Wright, owner of Whiskey Richards and Sportsman Lounge in Santa Barbara. “A little less flow of people going out... You could definitely feel an angst amongst people.”

Bars suddenly had to grapple with new questions surrounding staff and customer safety with the virus becoming a widespread risk.

Wright closed his establishments as a precaution the following Monday. He figured the drastic action would be temporary, but the uncertainty weighed on him.

“It was kind of heart-wrenching, really, to feel the powerlessness of not being, have no control of what was going on or know what was gonna happen,” he said.

One block up on State Street, English pub Old Kings Road was in a similar position last March when COVID worries intensified.

“It’s kinda weird, I never thought an actual bar or restaurant could be shut down, you know?” said longtime bartender Patrick Owens. “When times are rough, people tend to go out and get their mind off things but you don’t think you’re gonna be shut down. You don’t think this business will ever shut down.”

Owens says that the challenges that came with reopening multiple times last year--moving service outside, investing in heaters, a patio and new furniture--were more difficult than shutting down.

While there is still uncertainty this March, there is also more optimism.

“Hopefully they’ll be a boom ahead with tourism,” Owens said. “Gotta be positive in times like this.”

“People miss us and we miss them,” Wright said. “It’s not just a financial thing. It’s a source of community around here.

“I missed really just seeing my customers, even the bad ones,” he added with a laugh. “It’s just like, ‘Please come and see us!’”

Outdoor dining is still permitted in the purple tier. Bar and restaurant owners are hoping for indoor dining to return, which is possible when Santa Barbara County moves into the Red tier. That could happen as soon as this weekend.