City of Hopkinsville is teaming up with businesses downtown and will be closing streets at certain times to allow for more outdoor seating at restaurants and distilleries.
Restaurants and distilleries are able to open with indoor sitting at 33 percent capacity, but with unlimited outdoor seating, as long as six feet of social distancing is possible. Because of that, the City of Hopkinsville, starting Friday afternoon, will close portions of East Fifth Street between the hours of 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Wednesdays through Friday and on Saturdays from 12 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Also closing will be portions of East 10th Street from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Mayor Wendell Lynch says, “We recognize and understand the current restrictions make it difficult for these establishments to operate under a positive cash-flow scenario but we also recognize the importance of maintaining the social distancing requirements. This partnership provides an alternative approach, on a temporary basis, to show our support of the establishments’ and customers’ needs.”
These temporary street closures will remain in effect during the stated times until social distancing requirements have been lifted or restaurants and micro-breweries have been authorized to resume 100 percent indoor seating capacity. Participating businesses include Hopkinsville Brewing Company, The Mixer and The Local Irish Pub and Kitchen.