AUSTIN, Texas — Before Austin shut down all large public gatherings amid the COVID-19 pandemic, bar owners on 6th Street did their part to keep bar goers healthy, with hand sanitizer and lots of soap.
- Bars stocked up on cleaning supplies
- SXSW usually provides at least 10% of Bob Woody’s bar income
- Losing SXSW means consequences for him and his employees
On a day that was supposed to mark the beginning of South by Southwest, folks who still made the trip even after the festival was canceled were still determined to party. That’s why Bob Woody made sure the bars he owns in the city’s entertainment district were stocked up with as much cleaning supplies as possible.
“Being proactive is better than having to deal with it after it’s already here,” Woody said.
For his businesses, proactive means hand sanitizer in as many places as possible — with the doorman checking IDs, at the bar, and in the bathroom. For a bar owner who considers himself a stickler for hygiene, Woody said it’s the least he could do.
“When these big deals such as the coronavirus, as they roll through the economy and they roll through Austin, Texas we are careful about it and we’re also considerate towards it,” Woody said.
As he takes these steps to keep the customers he’s planning to get healthy, he realizes the loss of the festival as well as the city’s limitation on large group gatherings will do a number on his bottom line. Woody owns The Blind Pig Pub, Shakespeare’s Pub and Buck Wild on 6th Street. He’s also the owner of many other bars and restaurants around town. He said SXSW pulls in at least 10 percent of the income for his 6th Street bars every year. Losing that means consequences for him and his employees.
“Many times I’ve closed the clubs for a weekend after this because our staff works so hard and our income had been so strong,” Woody said. “It’s something nice that I can give back. We won’t be able to do that this year.”
Although the impact will be felt for some time, Woody said he believes he and the rest of the entertainment district will bounce back.
“Can we survive it, yes we can,” Woody said. “Nobody really wants to have to, but can we survive it? We can.”