Mask ordinance goes into effect for North Kansas City

On Wednesday, after a Tuesday night emergency session to catch North Kansas City mask policy up with the surrounding KCMO (and State of Kansas) mask requirement orders, Mayor Don Stielow instituted a mask requirement order for people entering and moving about the interior of public-facing businesses. That means all of our friends and partners here at RiverNorth Business League.

Pub owners reserve the right to refuse service to those they feel aren’t compliant, though you will not be refused service if a minor in your party does not have one (it should be noted though that the CDC *heavily* recommends any child over 2 have one if in a public enclosed space). Additional exceptions can be found at nkc.org.

As capacity restrictions loosen, this is a more obvious change from business as usual. I support the order, not just because I believe it’s in the best interest of our public health, but because our small business community cannot afford to have another shut down scenario. Despite all of our best efforts, an outbreak could still happen and one of our establishments here could have to shut down temporarily after an employee tests positive. This mask order will go a long way towards reducing that risk. Remember: the mask isn’t to protect you, it’s to protect others FROM you (assuming, which we have to, that you stand to have at least some chance of having the virus and not knowing it).

We want to help every small business we can here to adapt and adjust as we ride this out. I don’t know how long this storm is going to last– but I am damn proud of the resilience and clever ways each place is adapting to survive. Let’s all rely on each other, as every single empty storefront created by this nightmare is a detriment to us all.

There are tons of patios around town– if you’re not quite comfortable going indoors (despite the mask order) and would rather stay socially-distanced outside, there are plenty of new outdoor options as well: including Callsign Brewing‘s fabulous new covered deck, American Fusion‘s brand new patio area, and Screenland’s temporary satellite parklet outside of their theater, where you can get a drink and wait for an outdoor showing in their back parking lot.

Outdoor events are being listed at rivernorthkc.com/events. And the full listing of local food and drink (with clickable phone numbers and ordering links) can be found at nkcgo.com.

We hope everyone takes this time, as there’s never been a better time, to choose to #supportlocal

-Joe Gauer
Co-Founder | RiverNorth Business League
North Kansas City, MO