PORTLAND, Or.- A Portland bar is preparing to defy state regulations in order to stay afloat during COVID-19.
In an email sent earlier tonight, the Botanist House in Portland says its planning a unique form of civil disobedience.
One of the owners of the Botanist House said the business is planning to offer to-go cocktails the day before Thanksgiving in hopes of drawing the attention of state officials and changing current regulations. The owner says they want the state to allow bars to serve to-go cocktails as a way to make up for lost income due to the pandemic.
But with no decision made, and many places closing their doors for good, Botanist House says it’s decided to take personal action and protest.
Owner Matt Davidson says while they are trying to make do with to-go food orders, cocktail sales make up a huge part of their income so losing them hurts.
“When you take seventy percent of your revenue away from something and you got two chefs in the back of house already, you’re just going ‘I can’t make this happen,'” he explained.
He says he is not putting together a formal list of participating bars.
Because the information came in late in the evening, NBC5 has yet to check with state officials about the legality and potential consequences of this action.
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