Room 38 owner says violations feel like “targeting”

Room 38 is one of the downtown Columbia bars that now has a suspended operating license.

Health department officials say customers were close together at the bar Saturday night, and chairs at the bar were not socially distanced. Officials also say Room 38 sold food on Sunday, after its operating license was suspended.

Room 38 owner Billy Giordano says on The Gary Nolan Show the close contacts only happened because people were closing out their tabs minutes before the closing time under the current health order of 10:30 p.m.

“It almost feels like it’s targeting. We’ve been working very hard to be compliant and keep our guests and our employees safe, and two minutes after our lights turn on people stand up to leave and we get a ticket for it.”

The health department has to approve an operational plan before Room 38 can reopen. Another downtown Columbia bar, Nash Vegas, got its license suspended last weekend too.