ST. LOUIS — A downtown bar and restaurant said it is considering relocating after the city ordered it to shut down.
One of the factors in the city's decision was a video posted on the Wheelhouse's Instagram account showing a crowded dance floor of people not social distancing or wearing masks in late July.
"Do you regret posting that video?" 5 On Your Side's Brandon Merano asked one of the owners, Jared Ater.
"No, I mean the last thing we want to do is hide what we're doing from people. I don't think that accomplishes much either," Ater replied.
Ater said the city acted too quickly in shutting it down without giving a warning.
"We were just ordered to close and without due process that seems pretty unfair," he said. "Makes it really really tough to see how we are going to make it through this depending on how long it continues. And, at some point, we are going to have to consider doing business elsewhere and we already have."
According to the latest city order, any establishment serving alcohol must close at 11 p.m. Mayor Lyda Krewson people in their 20s and 30s accounted for too many cases of COVID-19.
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Despite a rising COVID-19 positivity rate, Ater said it's time to start easing restrictions again.
"All these customers are coming down here voluntarily and all our employees are coming to work voluntarily, so at some point, I think we need to let people evaluate their own risk and start living their lives again," Ater said.
5 On Your Side contacted Krewson's office for a response to the story, but a spokesperson has not yet responded.