SAN ANTONIO — It was a busy weekend at Hills and Dales Ice House on the city’s northwest side.
“This is new territory for us. This is new territory for the people coming to our establishment, and it’s going to be the new normal for a while,” Justin Vitek, Co-owner of Hills and Dales Ice House, said.
Thanks to new TABC guidelines, the bar was able to open with a food and beverage certificate, but Vitek said that wasn’t the problem they had this past weekend.
“As long as you meet their food to alcohol ratio, you’re in compliance,” Vitek said.
Records show during the three days they were open, officers were called to their bar more than 10 times due to concerns of overcrowding.
“We’ve had TABC and SAPD stop by every day since we’ve been open, and we’ve been in compliance every time."
Each time, no citation was given.
Vitek said even though the crowds look large, they aren’t exceeding the maximum occupancy - and they’ve even added extra security and safety measures to help.
“Last night alone, we had 12 security guards on the floor at any given time. It’s not for security purposes - it’s for making sure we’re following the guidelines and making sure people are wearing their masks,” Vitek said.
Vitek said between the three bars they own in the San Antonio area they’ve lost close to $3 million in sales since the pandemic started.
He said the bar is doing what they can to make it work for everybody.
“I know people think they can just drive by and see we aren’t safely operating, but I encourage you to come in and see how we’re doing things first,” Vitek said.