Boardwalk Bar and Grill in East Grand Forks forced to close for violating executive order

Boardwalk Bar and Grill reopened Wednesday defying Governor Tim Walz's four week closing of bars and restaurants.

EAST GRAND FORKS, Minn. – Boardwalk Bar and Grill in East Grand Forks is closed for three days after the business opened up to dine in customers defying Governor Tim Walz’s Covid-19 guidelines

Boardwalk Bar and Grill reopened Wednesday defying Governor Tim Walz’s four week closing of bars and restaurants.

Owner Jane Moss says in a statement in part: “What is being done is illegal and unconstitutional and I need to do what is my right for my employees and my patrons.”

Governor Walz says he understands businesses’ frustration.

“I understand where you’re at, but you also have to understand from these folks’ perspective that every time we that adds the potential for more people into the emergency room,” says Governor Tim Walz.

Lawmakers and business owners are calling on Walz to start the process of safely reopening businesses.

“All of these tables add up per day and really count at the end of the month, when you’re approaching the time to pay your bills,” says the owner, of Mike’s Pizza Sherry Aarnes.

Owner of Mike’s Pizza Sherry Aarnes says the restaurant is the longest-running business in East Grand Forks, having opened in 1964.

She says through the pandemic, she felt optimistic things would get better.

But that sentiment changed a month ago.

“When I had to do a second wave of lay-offs, telling friends and family and those who I’ve worked at for many, many years that I can no longer keep them on,” Aarnes says.

Blue Moose was supposed to be celebrating a big milestone this year.

“This is our 25th anniversary year and obviously it was a tough year to have a 25th anniversary,” says Blue Moose Co-owner Patrick Boppre.

But instead they’re having to decide whether they’ll have to lay off more employees.

A decision Blue Moose Patrick Boppre says is never easy.

“We don’t want any employee to be shut down. It’s a struggle as a business owner to have to tell those employees during this time of the year that they’re no longer going to be employed until we can reopen,” says Boppre.

This is the second lawsuit the Attorney General’s office has brought under executive order.