‘We’re a huge part of the recovery,’ says San Antonio bar owner pushing for coronavirus relief

SAN ANTONIO – Jody Newman is the owner of The Friendly Spot in Southtown. She said in the latest KSAT Q&A, while her establishment has been able to reopen under the Governor’s guidelines, most family-owned small bars and restaurants haven’t.

“This has been a real burden. Seven months without income and paying the overhead of your business. We at the friendly spot, we did it for over four and a half months. It was incredibly difficult,” she said.

Newman said in order for most of these businesses to reopen, they are seeking help through a Bexar County Restaurant and Beverage COVID-19 grant program. It would include about $3 million in grants if approved by the Commissioners Court.

Bexar County Commissioners Court to hear details on plan to help bars reopen

Newman has been an active voice for the Texas Bar and Restaurant Association.

“I would like to see more statements from leadership supporting my industry because I feel like we have had a very tough time of it. We’ve been ordered to be shut down. And I think we’re a huge part of the recovery,” she said.

Catch KSAT Q&A live at 6:30 p.m. and on the Nightbeat.

Related: ‘This is not what we want’: Bar owners react to Bexar County Judge’s decision to reopen bars