Lisa Zarza's bar in Minnesota shuttered due to pandemic policies, now thriving in Wisconsin.
According to the New York Post, Lisa Zarza, a 52-year-old former bar owner in Minnesota, has blamed Governor Tim Walz's COVID-19 restrictions for the financial woes that forced her to close her business and relocate to Wisconsin. She cites the measures as discriminatory and attributes them to causing her and many small businesses to suffer greatly.
Zarza now operates the Outpost Bar and Grill in Bay City, Wisconsin, where she has found success away from Minnesota’s restrictive environment. She travels two hours each way daily to run her establishment, serving patrons from both Wisconsin and Minnesota.
In March 2020, when the pandemic led to statewide closures, Zarza initially followed all recommended procedures like mask-wearing and social distancing. However, as prolonged orders kept her bar closed beyond what she believed was necessary, her compliance turned to defiance in October 2020.
Reopening her establishment in defiance of Governor Walz’s orders led to a slew of legal challenges for Zarza. These challenges escalated to threats of arrest and fines, cumulating in personal bankruptcy with legal costs surpassing $300,000.
Lisa Zarza asserts that while her business and similar small enterprises faced stringent closures, larger retail businesses were allowed full operational capacity under the same restrictions. This disparity, she argues, unfairly marginalized smaller ventures and favored larger ones.
Zarza faced steep consequences for her stand against the lockdowns, ultimately losing her licenses and making continued operations in Minnesota impossible. In March 2022, she took the bold step of relocating her livelihood across state lines.
Lisa Zarza recounted how her initial compliance evolved into resistance, feeling that the governor was encroaching on rights without justification. Her passionate outcry led to her deciding to leave Minnesota permanently.
I did everything I was supposed to do. I wore my mask, I was socially distanced. I stayed at home. I stood up because he stripped us of our rights. It was discrimination against certain groups of people, and we were one of them. He didn’t have a right to do what he did to us.
Zarza's settlement in Wisconsin is marked by contentment and a resolve to never return to Minnesota, expressing satisfaction with her new surroundings and the favorable business climate in Wisconsin compared to what she experienced in Minnesota. “I love Wisconsin. I’ll never go back to Minnesota. I’ll live there for seven more months then after that I never want to go to that state again,” said Zarza.
The move to Wisconsin marks a significant turn in Zarza’s professional and personal life. Her new bar, the Outpost Bar and Grill, has reportedly become a popular spot for many who cross state lines for the ambiance and service she offers.
Lisa Zarza vows never to operate in Minnesota again, citing irreconcilable differences with state leadership and a bitter experience with its governance during the lockdown. Her story reflects a broader narrative of small business struggles during the pandemic and differing responses by state governments.
In conclusion, Lisa Zarza’s confrontation with Minnesota’s pandemic policies has led her from obedience to open defiance, a costly legal battle, and finally to a new beginning in Wisconsin where she feels her rights and business can thrive. Her case exemplifies how many small business owners face harsh choices under unprecedented conditions.
