FORT WORTH (1080 KRLD) - Four bars in the Fort Worth Stockyards plan to reopen May 1; and if they're ordered to stay closed, they will not take it lying down.
One of them is the Basement Bar, which posted a defiant message on its Facebook page Tuesday.
"We have played this game long enough," the post read. "We abided by the rules set forth to help prevent our hospitals from being overwhelmed and to 'flatten the curve.'" (Quotes within quotes are theirs)
The post, which Facebook deleted because it went against its community standards, went on to say that the COVID-19 crisis was "all nonsense and grossly over-exaggerated."
The other bars vowing to open on May 1 include the Thirsty Armadillo, the PR Saloon, and the Stampede Saloon.
Currently, Fort Worth's emergency declaration is set to expire on April 30.
While it's unknown whether the declaration will be extended at the city, county, or state level, conversations are ongoing.
"There's a lot of conversation happening right now at many different levels with the industry, with local leaders, with public health departments, as well as the medical community on how we should be working to tackle the new reopening phase," says Elmer DePaula, Fort Worth assistant director of code compliance.
If the bars are ordered to remain closed beyond April 30, they're vowing legal action.
"I think at that point, we're going to have to seek legal action against the city and the state," says Fred Barnett, spokesman for the four bars.
"I really feel wholeheartedly that the facts that they've laid down before us for the reason for our shutdown are overinflated," Barnett continues. "With the quarantine, the numbers are still rising in Tarrant County. So it appears to be not working."
The city says it will be keeping a close eye on those bars if they open in defiance of any order to remain closed, should an extension be forthcoming.
"We are actually paying attention not just to their business but to any other business that may be wanting to reopen," says DePaula.
As of Wednesday afternoon, there have been 1,430 cases of COVID-19 in Tarrant County.
Of those, 44 people have died and 259 have recovered.
Despite those numbers, Barnett says it's time to allow bars to reopen.
"Everybody's losing their livelihoods and their businesses," says Barnett. "And so far, we've gotten the same runaround (and) the same answer over and over and over again."
DePaula says most other businesses are taking a different approach.
"The business community is very well aware of the seriousness of this disease," DePaula says, "and they have been very compliant."