'Enough is enough:' Restaurant owner makes plans to open before 'Safer at Home' order lifted

WAUWATOSA -- A local restaurant owner says he plans on opening his doors to dine-in customers earlier regardless if the 'Safer at Home' extension goes until May 26.

Dan Zierath, owner of Jackson's Blue Ribbon

"All of our tables are going to be about 7, 8 feet apart."

Making plans to still abide by social distancing, yet he's defying orders from Governor Tony Evers.

"It's time to put America back to work."

Claiming to be one of the first establishments to close during the beginning of the pandemic, Dan Zierath who owns four area restaurants plans on opening the doors to Jackson's Blue Ribbon Pub in Wauwatosa to the public on May 1.

"Enough is enough the curve is flattened and let's get back at it now.

Staff has been cut and he's lost hundreds of thousands of dollars, but he says there's more to the defiant move.

"It's really more to make a statement," Zierath said. "I'm not doing this for any economic gain, it's just to make a statement that it's time to open up our state," he said.

His decision has received both backlash and support, but Zierath claims the re-opening will be done with caution.

"You will have to fill out a questionnaire before you come in all of our employees are going to have masks or gloves on everyone has to sanitize at the door or their hands everyone is going to take extreme precautions."

"We are going to sanitize the entire bar about 3-5 times a day depending on how busy we are."

"I don't want to cause a second wave of this virus and be irresponsible, but I don't see any problems with doing it safely doing it slowly and ramping it up," Zierath said.

Whether or not he'll be met with legal repercussions remains to be seen

"It is what it is. We're going to do it and let the dice roll," he said.

With a capacity of about 135, the owner says he'll only allow 35-40 people inside.

He's going to modify hours, serve only food and one cocktail will be allowed with the meal.

Just to note: the owner of the Jackson's Blue Ribbon Pub in downtown Milwaukee happens to be Zierath's brother. He says they will not be opening until the stay at home order is lifted.

The Department of Health Services states there are penalties such as a fine and jail time if public health orders are violated.

While there have been a few isolated incidents of planned violations, they're seeing overwhelming support of the stay at home order and its progress.