(Photo: Coal Region Canary)
Mike Glauda called The Canary Thursday night to tell us he’s been contacted by Pennsylvania State Police and the Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement several times since announcing his intent to reopen Goodfellas on Friday morning.
Since then, tens of thousands of people across Pennsylvania and beyond have expressed support for Glauda and even pledged to support and patronize his business.
However, a bar owner in Pennsylvania like Glauda is up against numerous regulations and can have their business taken from them for any number of reasons.
Glauda tells us they came at him in the last 24 hours with “everything but the kitchen sink,” he said.
Goodfellas Standing Down But Open for Business
The frustrated bar owner says he’ll take advantage of Governor Wolf’s confusing decision Thursday to allow bars and restaurants to begin selling take-out cocktails from their establishments.
.@GovernorTomWolf today signed legislation allowing the temporary sale of cocktails-to-go from bars, restaurants, or hotels with a liquor license. The law takes effect immediately.https://t.co/953Ip9NALW
— Office of the Governor (@GovernorsOffice) May 21, 2020
That ruling went into effect immediately upon its announcement. And Glauda says he’s making plans to reopen his business on Friday morning selling take-out beer and well drinks from his bar in Mount Carbon, just outside Pottsville.
He sent us this press release as he was posting to his social media accounts to let the public know of his plans:
To the hundreds and possibly thousands of people throughout the Commonwealth that liked, shared, messaged and supported me and my decision to reopen I can not thank you enough.
However, I never thought my knee jerk decision to post on social media my disgust towards our tyrant governor would have created this much attention with local and state wide coverage.
Also I did not put any thoughts into the possibilities of repercussions to my family nor did I think at the time that my decision would be putting two different people that I respect from two different state agencies in a awkward position, one of them being from the PLCB that I personally have supported and the other that took the time out to call me yesterday and he is from the BLCE.
I truly believe they understand the reason why I posted and the reason I need to open our business, but they also have a job to do.
So it is with deep regret and disgust with myself that I, too, have to stand down and succumb to this Governor’s idle threats and take the position like our County Commissioners and other Commissioners throughout this Commonwealth had to do, knowing full well that we will not make it much longer.
I hope that my decision to stand down at this time does not make you think ill of me or of Goodfellas in any way. Although I did not expect any licensees nor did I ask anyone to join me in this fight I guess, well maybe, I was hoping at least one would join us. I can understand that they too have families, livelihoods and investments to worry about. I get it but I can not fight this fight alone.
I hope that our elected politicians can talk some sense into this man. If not, we need the federal government to step in. I’m sure there will be another day to fight, but first we have to unite as one bar/restaurant. Our governor is already laying the foundation that we can not go green until we have a proven working vaccine.
With that being said we will be open at 7 a.m. for take out beer and well drinks only. I am so sorry to let all of you down but I did truly try.
God bless and stay safe.
Respectfully,
Mike Glauda
Goodfellas Inc.
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PTFloridians
May 22, 2020 at 6:38 am
Still in your corner, no matter what Mike…what’s MOST troubling is the police-state, mob-style tactics of this truly Fascist Governor…they threaten people until they bend or break…it’s absolutely awful, oppressive and tyrannical, while convicted criminals are released from jails, crimes in our streets and homes are not enforced or decriminalized, illegal aliens get in the front of the line for everything, and the “homeless” are not applicable to any of the edicts declared by Der Komissar Wolf…oh, and i almost forgot, 70% of the China virus deaths were vulnerable elderly, in nursing care facilities, due to the states’ decision to house viral patients with them, early on…now it’s national news. Heads better roll, but, the people got what they asked for when they voted for this fool many years ago.
Linda H
May 22, 2020 at 6:57 am
Lot of lip service from our commissioners, representatives, senators and congressmen (woman) Too many gray areas and everyone is walking around in the fog.
I know someone who owns a multi million dollar business in York PA and has gone to Mike Long American lobbyist, former legislative aide in Pennsylvania. He is also the brother-in-law of former majority leader, David (Chip) Brightbill.
Mike was going to go up to bat for him, said he and the representative can get it done. Get him open. Two hours later, Mike called back saying hey, he made a mistake. Would not say any more.
What is the governor threating these people with? Has to be more than the verbally abusive language we all had directed at us.
Hang in there, twenty five years of being in the business, you were through a lot of other real shit!
You would have started in 95, at that point we had just come out of the 1990 – 92 economic slump, then in 2001 9-11, add in the recent recession, make it through that, you have some “iron kahonas”.
As they say . . . don’t let the bastards grind you down!”