Greeley Nightclub Opening With Alleged Weld County Approval [WATCH]

A lot of businesses were hit hard by the pandemic, and are continuing to go through a difficult time. Business owners are scrambling to reopen while adhering to new safety guidelines.

One small business owner, James Jennings, is opening up despite the overwhelming regulations and restrictions businesses must now adhere to, saying "this isn't a political statement, we just ran out of money entirely". When asked about whether he was concerned about differing restrictions between state and county officials, Jennings stated,

They said they are not shutting us down, which sounds like an approval.

James Jennings, Starlite Station Owner

So, as a means of survival, the nightclub will be the first one open in Colorado. Their opening date is set for Friday, May 22 at 5 p.m.

Jennings is a veteran who has fought hard to save his Greeley nightclub, Starlite Station, which is located where the old Cactus Canyon was in the Greeley Mall, right off 17th ave.

While working to preserve his business, Jennings has also strove to serve his community, in spite of his mounting frustration with the government's response to the pandemic. He described how "We had remained open for those in need, the only business in Colorado to give away Free Food, Free Beverages & Free Car Washes, with a Free Live DJ in our Parking Lot... [the] government has done nothing to help us. We are doing everything we can to provide for the community, but we have just run out of options."

Jennings said the nightclub is complying with ALL 26 CDC guidelines for a safe reopening. The signage they posted from Weld County is also in line with CDC recommendations.

They also took additional steps to require face masks  in their establishment and reduced capacity limits substantially, which are not mentioned in the national guidelines. However, face masks are recommended by Weld County when social distancing isn't possible.

Starlite Station announced their reopening in the video below, which reminds visitors to "mask up" while visiting the nightclub and ends with "#reopenresponsibly." Additionally, the business fully explained their decision to reopen in the video's description, which you can find here.

Jennings mentioned that the club also has a food license, making them able to sell food along with beverages, and are currently open for pick-up, too.