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3 downtown St. Louis bars reopening this month

Wheelhouse and Start Bar were previously ordered to shut down for one year

ST. LOUIS — Three St. Louis bars will be allowed to reopen this month after previously being ordered by health officials to close for one year.

Wheelhouse announced it'll reopen on Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. and Start Bar and Midwestern will reopen on Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. 

All three bars will reopen with 33.3% capacity with table service only.

In January, city officials ordered Wheelhouse and Start Bar to close for one year as Acting Health Director Dr. Fredrick Echols cited violations to social distancing and mask mandate health orders.

The three restaurants are part of the same restaurant group. Midwestern ordered to shut down for 30 days. 

"We appreciate the city's counselor's office staff for working with us so our outstanding employees can return to work," Wheelhouse wrote in part its social media accounts. 

"We are asking for your assistance in respecting the City's orders so that we can continue serving our great customers and to ensure the 137 employees on our team can continue working to support themselves and their families. We will be operating at a limited capacity of 33.3% with table service only. Reservations are highly recommended. VIP service available."

Below is the city's order:

St. Louis city officials first ordered Wheelhouse and Start Bar to close for two weeks in July 2020. This came after an Instagram Story for an account linked to Wheelhouse showed crowds of people inside the bar ignoring social distancing standards and mask mandates. 

The bars reopened after that and then were ordered to close again for two weeks in November 2020

RELATED: Video of packed St. Louis bar prompts city to temporarily close businesses

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