St. Clair County shutters bar, levies fine for COVID violations. Owner is defiant.
Juan Gillam’s family-operated bar has been open for 50 years and he has no intention to close it despite an order from St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern to close until Dec. 31 for violating coronavirus restrictions that ban indoor service to customers.
Kern, who also serves as the county’s liquor commissioner, on Thursday suspended the liquor license of George’s Pub, which is at 118 Front St. near East Carondelet. He also temporarily shuttered H’s Bar at 1310 Dutch Hollow Road near Belleville.
Kern, who could not be reached for comment, also ordered the bars to pay a $1,000 fine.
At least three other restaurants had been shut down in some capacity as of Saturday including Lotawata Creek in Fairview Heights, Syberg’s in O’Fallon and Reifschneider’s Grill & Grape in Freeburg.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker last month banned indoor service to bar and restaurant customers in an effort to help stop the spread of COVID-19 cases.
Gillam, who said he doesn’t plan to pay the $1,000 fine, said he has a small tavern that serves friends and family members and that he keeps the bar clean. Most of the customers on Friday afternoon were not wearing masks, but one did and the bartender had a face covering when Gillam met with a BND reporter and photographer.
“I’ve not broken any laws. All I did was break their rules and it’s killing’em,” Gillam said. “It’s driving them nuts. They want to push their authority around, that’s all it is. They’ve been aggravating me since March 31. I’m not closing.
“They have no right to take away my way of living. When they quit their job, I’ll quit mine.”
Gillam, 62, is frustrated that his bar was ordered to be closed because he sees bars all around St. Clair County that continue to serve customers inside. He said one of the bars that has remained opened is operated by his mother.
“They can pick and choose who can stay open and who can’t,” Gillam said. “It’s a little communistic, if you ask me. I’m sick of it.”
Gillam, who lives in the basement below his bar, said he took it over when his father, George Gillam, became ill in 2013 and died in 2014.
Gillam said the county health department took away his food service license on Friday but he said he doesn’t sell food. Instead, he said he gives it away, which is what he intends to do on Saturday when he’ll smoke two turkeys for the bar’s “friendsgiving” celebration.
A representative of H’s Bar referred questions to the bar’s attorney, who could not be reached for comment.
St. Clair County on Friday announced that it had 286 new cases of COVID-19 and two new deaths for a total of 262 since the pandemic began.
The 286 cases represents the third-highest daily total in the county during the pandemic.
This story was originally published December 4, 2020 at 5:10 PM.
