CHARLOTTE, N.C. — 2.5 is how many people would be allowed on the patio of Jeff’s Bucket Shop if Michaele Laria opened its doors.

On Friday, Governor Roy Cooper announced bars were allowed to reopen with restrictions under the Phase 3 reopening plan.

Bars are now allowed to operate outdoors, but only at 30 percent outdoor capacity or 100 guests, whichever is less.

“We were hoping for the best but expecting the worst, and that’s exactly what we got, because what he gave us did nothing to open the majority of private bars," said Laria.

Laria's karaoke bar has been closed since early March and she says it will stay closed because financially she still can’t run her bar under these restrictions.

“It’s real hard when I hear from a security person at a competitor that happens to sell food they did $15,000 last night alone closing at 11 o’clock," she said. "We can’t even open our doors and make $200…enough to pay an electric bill.”

Jeff’s Bucket Shop has been in Charlotte for 17 years and while the business has been through a lot, COVID-19 is impacting it more than Laria ever imagined.

“I like being a strong woman, but this is really pushing me to my limits and I don’t know what to do about it,” she says.

Laria says she’s spent nearly $25,000 making upgrades to their bar so they can open, but she feels private bars aren’t getting the same opportunities as other businesses.

“It’s about politics," she said. "You couldn’t convince me of anything else because we’ve got the same alcohol in our bar that you can get anywhere else, and you don’t have to buy food wherever you go. You can still go in there and have fun.”

The doors of Jeff’s Bucket Shop remain closed but Laria is still holding out hope they will open again soon.

“We’re just going to hang in there like everybody else is trying to do," she said.

Laria says she plans to stay closed until the governor makes another announcement about bars.

She says if she has to, she will re-license herself as a restaurant to keep her business going.