MCKINNEY (WBAP/KLIF)- A North Texas venue owner is asking for Governor Greg Abbott to include venues in his phase 2 reopen plan.
Phase 2 of opening Texas allowed restaurants to open at 50% occupancy but Jennifer Klassen, owner of Gather in Downtown McKinney, thought venues were guaranteed to follow. “Weddings were not updated, venues were left at 25% capacity,” said Klassen. Klassen said she has been in contact with Congressman Van Taylor’s Office and believes it was just an oversight issue. “Restaurants are in everyone’s life, we get that…wedding conversations aren’t in your life unless you are getting married or you know someone getting married,” she said.
Klassen said her message has made it to the Governor’s Office and hopes the Task Force will make the changes within the coming days.
She said this change to 50% opens opportunities for venues everywhere. “It’s a difference from 50 people to 100 people at your wedding for a small venue or from 100 people to 200 people for a large venue, exponentially it makes a huge difference,” Klassen said.
Klassen shares how Gather has been impacted since COVID-19. She said events have been cancelled until the rest of May, but they have worked to reschedule events for the future. “If they change it to allow 50%, we would be able to host 102 people at Gather,” said Klassen, “To put this perspective, all but one event in July and August would still be able to go on as scheduled.”
Klassen said this isn’t just a good thing for venues, it will also help small businesses like, photographers and catering companies. “It’s a ripple effect, not just brides, grooms and their guests are waiting for the change. We are hopeful that the next wave will go to 75% and we keep trending in a healthy environment to allow types of events, like weddings, to happen… we need them,” she said.
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