Bar owners plan protest to reopen business, claiming they are 'essential'

ORMOND-BY-THE-SEA, Fla. - The first phase of reopening Florida is in full effect. Patti Miracle doesn't understand why that includes salons and gyms, but it doesn't include bars.

"How is that [salons and gyms reopening] safer than me serving a beer across my bar?" wondered Miracle, owner of the Seaside Tavern in Ormond-by-the-Sea.

Miracle thinks that bars are essential. She started a social media platform to help raise money for out-of-work bartenders and to demand that bars be allowed to reopen.

"The big thing now is just to get the bars open so employees can go back to work because that's all they really want and that's all we want," said Frank Scott, Miracle's colleague.

On Saturday, May 23, Miracle and Scott will hold a "Bars R Essential" ride from Seaside Tavern to four other locations around Central Florida, including Port Orange and Bunnell. The ride is solo, but it will be streamed live on their Facebook page.

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Protestors are invited to any station at one of the five locations. They are asked to continue to practice social distancing and be well-behaved.  For more information, go to BarsREssential.com.