April 02, 2025
Local News

Oregon bars, restaurants adapt to new masking rules

Patrons must now mask when interacting with servers

By Jeff Helfrich
Image 1 of 3

A grand opening and ribbon cutting was held at Oregon's new Cork & Tap on Feb. 1, 2018 in downtown Oregon. The establishment, located at 305 W. Washington Street (Ill. 64), offers wine, beer, and specialty drinks. This photo was taken more than a year before masks have been mandated to try and stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. (Earleen Hinton)

Cork & Tap Owner Jason O’Neil wants his customers to feel at home at his bar during COVID-19, but he doesn’t want them to forget about it.

“We make a point to put up signage at the door and every table reminding people to have it on,” O’Neil said. “We try to make them feel at ease when they’re seated so they can relax and take them off. But we’re still in a pandemic.”

The state implemented new guidelines last week requiring patrons in bars and restaurants to wear masks when interacting with staff to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The change took effect on Aug. 26.

Governor JB Pritzker said in a press release that the change was made due to a recent uptick in state cases.

“Based on conversations and input from industry and business leaders, the State of Illinois is implementing updated guidelines which will allow restaurants and bars across the state to stay open while helping protect the health and safety of patrons and staff,” Pritzker said.

Hazel’s Manager Candace Rivera said that her customers have been respectful and understanding since reopening and that the new guidelines “haven’t changed much.” Rivera said she got guidance immediately from the state and guidance on how exactly to implement the changes.

There have been issues of people not wearing masks, but they’ve been resolved by patrons putting one on or leaving, Rivera said. And those patrons are kept away from others while the issue is resolved.

“Business is OK,” Rivera said. “We’re still at 50 percent of where we were. It’s steadily getting better. I think it’s a mixture of everything. Personal finances, not wanting to go inside and hectic schedules that we all seem to have now.”

O’Neil said it has been “a little difficult” to have a change in guidelines, but that staff and patrons feel more comfortable as a result of it.

Due to it just coming into effect, Cork & Tap hasn’t had any issues with patrons yet. But it has seen “slower than usual” business due to the pandemic as a whole. O’Neil and his wife and co-owner, Carrie, attribute that to people not feeling comfortable going out.

“We noticed we didn’t have a big uptick when we reopened,” O’Neil said. “Then people get more comfortable and it picked up. With the new restrictions it dropped down again.”

O’Neil has noticed the new restrictions more as a patron than he has as an owner. He and Carrie were out at a county establishment last weekend.

“We saw how people are not paying attention to any of this,” O’Neil said. “It was quite shocking as a bar owner. There’s businesses that don’t follow the rules for that. We try to do our best. There’s no ramifications and patrons have no issues with it. I think it’s unfair.”