St. Louis brewery owner says it doesn't make sense to reopen

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - While many St. Louis City and County businesses are preparing to reopen Monday, one local brewery is not.

Center Ice Brewery owner Steve Albers took to Twitter to announce that he and his staff have decided not to reopen the bar on Olive in midtown St. Louis. "I met with the team," Albers says, "we unanimously decided it's too early. We don't know."

Related: Page: Public pressure will make sure St. Louis businesses follow coronavirus guidelines

While the bar can legally reopen Monday, Albers says it just doesn't make sense.

"If we're opening the bar, I'm sure as hell not putting them on the front lines so, I'll be behind the bar," Albers says. "So, you come in. We're all socially distanced. We can't have that many people in here. You have a mask on. I have a mask on. You're drinking beer through the mask."

A real, honest inside look at @CenterIceBrew pic.twitter.com/LUSlZfRoVg

— Steve Albers (@centericesteve) May 16, 2020

Albers says he is still trying to wrap his head around what is going on in the world. In response to questions about how the brewery is doing, Albers was blunt. "If you want the real answer, we're ******. This industry is ******."

But he is not giving up.

"We're going to have to wait it out," he says. "But, you're going to have to pry this brewery from my cold dead hands, I promise you that much. I've killed myself for the past 10 years to do this. It just means we have to adapt. We have to write a new plan. Find a different solution. That's what we're doing." 

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