Bar owners in Kentucky feeling nervous, excited about reopening

LOUISVILLE, Ky (WDRB) -- Bars in Kentucky can reopen June 29, but it won't be a typical night out on the town. 

Trouble Bar in Shelby Park will begin pouring bourbon again next Monday, but the flow will be different, co-owner Kaitlyn Soligan Owens said.

"We will be structured much more like a restaurant except all we will be serving will be alcohol," she said. 

Since bars will be able to serve only 50 people at a time, Trouble Bar will welcome patrons only with reservations.

"We'll just seat their group, thoroughly clean and disinfect between, keep everyone as social distanced as we can and we are going to require masks at all times unless you're directly seated with your group," Owens said. 

The owner of Air Devils Inn said thanks to the financial support of loyal customers it will also reopen June 29.

"We are excited and nervous," Kristie Shockley said.

Shockley said she cannot wait to see all her regulars, even though things won't be quite the same.

"We'll have more tables. We are going to put them in parking lot areas. We have ordered and received face shields," she said.

As some bars are preparing to reopen, others are still mapping out a plan.

"We'll hold off a few weeks to see how other bars are operating," said John McArdle, general manager of Kaiju. 

The bar will continue to operate as a store until it is done with renovations and has a solid plan in place.

"We're brainstorming. We'll get there," McArdle said. 

Owens, at Trouble Bar, said the business would be in trouble if it had to stay closed any longer, and she's ready to get back to work. 

"We all love this place and we feel so lucky that the community does, too," she said. 

Trouble Bar is taking online reservations now.

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