Multiple Grand Rapids Restaurants Close After Employees Test Positive for Covid-19
UPDATE: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer shut down indoor service at bars across the southern part of the state, beginning at 11 p.m. on Wednesday, July 1, 2020, citing a surge in positive cases of COVID-19 throughout lower Michigan.
UPDATE: Peppino's Dowtown Grand Rapids announced a team member has tested positive for COVID-19. They are closed until Monday, July 6.
UPDATE: Olive's Restaurant and Bar shared on Facebook that and employee had tested positive for COVID-19. Olive's will temporarily close their doors for the remainder of the week.
UPDATE: Hopcat at Knapp's Corner announced they had employees that tested positive for COVID-19 this week. They have reported to the Kent County Health Department and are temporarily closed.
UPDATE: The Winchester shared on Facebook that an employee had tested positive for COVID-19. They are closed until further notice.
UPDATE: Tuesday, The Green Well announced they'd been informed an employee had tested positive for COVID-19. According to a Facebook post, they relayed the news immediately to staff and the Kent County Health Department and started a comprehensive contact-tracing plan. The Green Well says they are following all KCHD and State guidelines and we will reopen for normal business operations once we they have completed necessary protocols to ensure everyone's safety.
UPDATE: Monday morning, another Grand Rapids bar, Joey's Tavern, announced on Facebook that they would be closing down until 11 a.m. on Thursday after two of their employees tested positive for COVID-19.
O'Tooles Public House, Butchers Union, and the B.O.B.announced over the weekend that they are closed until further notice after workers tested positive for COVID-19.
O'Tooles and Butchers Union are both on Bridge Street.
According to WZZM-13, the two establishments have the same owner and both recently resumed dine-in service after being closed since March due to the coronavirus pandemic and stay-at-home order.
Butchers Union says the employee who tested positive has not been on the premises since June 19. They say they are confident this is not from a lack of safety at the restaurant as they have been following all safety guidelines from the CDC and State of Michigan.
O'Tooles says the employee who tested positive for COVID-19 has not worked since June 23 and they also do not think it was a result of lack of safety at the restaurant.
Both say they are working on re-opening plans and to stay tuned to social media for updates.
The B.O.B. in Grand Rapids also announced they are temporarily closing after an employee tested positive for COVID-19. They say the employee may have been exposed and contracted the coronavirus as early as June 11 or 12th in Gilley's Smokehouse or BOB's Beer Garden. A professional deep cleaning of the entire building is currently underway and all workers who had contact with the employee who tested positive are now being testing for COVID-19. The B.O.B says they'll reopen individual restaurants in the building as they feel it's safe to do so.