Extra Mizzou home game brings fewer crowds to some businesses in Columbia

COLUMBIA, Mo (KMIZ)

Local businesses in downtown Columbia saw smaller crowds this home game compared to the Alabama game on Sept. 26.

Tera Eskerle, a server at Tellers, said today they were slower than they anticipated. A server at Shot Bar also saw a smaller crowd and both said it was due to the Mizzou game starting at 11 a.m.

"It was the early game, everybody wanted to tailgate at their own houses," Eskerle said.

But the manager of Harpos, Charlie Smith, said this game day was slightly busier than the last, with a slower start but a large crowd in the afternoon.

This comes after bars were preparing for larger out of town crowds who might be unaware of the current Boone County health order.

In an interview on Wednesday Nic Parks, the owner of Silverball, was nervous this game would cause more health order violations for the city.

"We expect to do more day business but our big concern is that our out-of-town visitors will not know the rules and it puts us at risk of health order 'violations'," he said.

However Shot Bar, Tellers, and Harpos said most customers were not from out of town and did well following the order.

"We haven't had any issues today with people coming in and not wearing their masks actually, everybody has had one we haven't had to stop anybody even if they are from out of town," Eskerle said.

The Boone County Health and Human Services Department did complience checks after the Mizzou game.

Health department assistant director, Scott Clardy, said Logboat Brewing Company will be getting a notice of violation.

"They were providing bar service and too large of groups sitting together. All other places were okay," he said.

The notice of violation will be issued on Monday.