Several sources of Must Read Alaska have learned that Acting Mayor Austin Quinn-Davidson met with representatives of the food and beverage industry, and told them she’ll shutting down restaurants for 28 days starting Monday morning for indoor dining.
Must Read Alaska has learned the acting mayor will still allow take out, and that outdoor seating will be allowed. The temperature in Anchorage today was about 10 degrees above zero.
This will be the next in a series of shutdowns that this mayor and the previous one, Ethan Berkowitz, have enacted against the restaurant and bars of Anchorage.
In July, former Mayor Berkowitz shut down restaurants and bars to indoor service. His order also closed theaters, bingo halls, and limited indoor gatherings to 15 people, and outdoor gatherings with food and drinks to 25 people.
That started a brief skirmish with a few restaurants that refused to comply, which ended up on the national news.
Earlier this month, Quinn-Davidson enacted a mask mandate in Anchorage and also limited indoor and outdoor gatherings. She also advertised to hire more code enforcers to troll through businesses and ensure people are masked up and keeping six feet away from others.
Several restaurants in Anchorage have simply gone out of business as a result of the multiple orders, as they are unable to pay rent or keep their staff.
