My wife and I worked as employees at Hooligans in Pocatello for 15 years. About three years ago, our dream came true of becoming business owners and we bought the bar. Since then, our business has been doing great.

However, since the stay-home order, our business has been devastated. Bars were one of the first places that were shut down. Under the lockdown, we have been struggling as a family and we are unsure what the future holds for us.

What has been extremely frustrating is hearing people, including those in the government, determine what businesses are essential versus non-essential. What does that even mean?

I can tell you that to my wife and I, our sole source of income, Hooligans, our business is essential. To our kids whose mouths are fed by our business, the bar is a necessity.

The employees who work for us are no longer employed and earning money. It would seem our business was essential for them as well.

While we understand the need to slow the spread of the virus, we can do that on our own without the need for government intervention. We can limit the number of customers in our establishment and make sure that we do extra cleaning.

We desperately need our business to be open again for our family, employees, and our community.

Evan Pruett,
Pocatello