Bar and restaurant owners working to avoid larger crowds, law enforcement says complaints are low

A number of KCRG-TV9 viewers have sent in videos or pictures, asking about some large gatherings outside some bars, which after Governor Kim Reynolds' recent proclamation, restaurants, and bars can only do take-out or delivery.

Law enforcement officials in Linn County said the number of complaints is very low, and they are relying more on education rather than enforcement.

TV9 was sent a video showing a number of people hanging around outside of Jimmy Z's, a restaurant and bar in downtown Cedar Rapids Sunday.

"I'll be honest with you, it looks like a party, but that's not what we were doing," Jaymz Larson, the owner of Jimmy Z's, said.

Larson said the situation on the patio came from confusion about whether or not people were allowed to eat outside, but he said law enforcement had originally misspoken when giving him instruction.

"One person [sat outside], another person did that, three people walked by that were fishing down the road on the bridge, they said hi," Larson said.

Larson said they are doing everything to comply with law enforcement and appreciate the work of the Cedar Rapids Police Department.

"The part that we've really been focusing on, is when people come into the restaurant, you get your meal and you exit the restaurant," Larson said.

Staff with the Cedar Rapids Police Department tell TV9 there were 700 compliance checks in the past week, and officers did not find any violations at the bars and restaurants checked. Often times if an officer found multiple cars in a parking lot, it was typically those of employees or customers waiting for food in their cars.

Larson is not the only one that has faced backlash on social media recently. Ownership at House Divided in Ely saw a similar response.

"All we can do at this time is take out orders," Calvin Corrin, an owner and brewer at House Divided, said. "We can all our beers in single 16-ounce they call crowlers."

They received negative reviews and concerns after a photo was posted from Sunday showing a food truck parked outside the brewery. With it, so did a crowd.

"They were standing around the area keeping a distance waiting for their food," Corrin said. "And someone took the picture with people standing around."

Linn County Sheriff Brian Gardner said they have only received two complaints since the governor's proclamation changing the way certain bars and restaurants do business.

"We are encouraging people to follow the rules," Gardner said. "When we find an establishment that's not, our role really becomes more of an education piece than an enforcement piece."

Gardner said only repeat offenders would face enforcement actions rather than education.

"Only if the education piece is not hitting home, after perhaps a few then we may have to shift gears and go into the enforcement mode," Gardner said.

Since Sunday, ownership at House Divided has made it clearer by roping off the patio to people, even if they are just waiting for someone to fill their order. Corrin said they have asked the food truck operators not to come back in the meantime, but they could always park down the road.