Cincinnati restaurants, shopping malls, movie theaters and nightclubs shut their doors early Thursday to comply with a citywide curfew that began at 8 p.m.

Main Street entertainment district was deserted when the curfew took effect Thursday night. (Michael Snyder photo) | ZOOM |

        Many business operators affected by the curfew expressed frustration and resentment at both rioters and police.

        “Since this started, it's been awful, says Lee Bledsoe, manager of Aioli restaurant on Elm Street. “We've had cancellation after cancellation after cancellation. But what can we do?”

        Both Rookwood Pavilion and Tower Place Mall closed early because of the impending curfew.

        “We're closing at (5 p.m.) to give employees time to get home to beat the curfew,” said John Ferguson, a Tower Place spokesman.

        Some downtown workplaces also closed early. Federated Department Stores, for example, closed its offices at 3 p.m. Thursday and will not reopen today.

        Fourteen Kroger stores were closed.

        “It's difficult to put” a dollar amount on how much the curfew would cost Kroger, said Amy Shultan, a company spokeswoman, “but I honestly don't think you'll see too much activity after eight anyway. It's such a shame.”

        Restaurants and other businesses that generate most of their sales after dark expected to be hit hardest.

        Nat Comisar, managing partner of the Maisonette restaurant, said his staff called patrons with reservations and offered to make reservations at other eateries.

        He said a private party of 60 had canceled a midnight reservation, and wasn't sure if another party of 60 that was on the books would show up.

        “That's a lot of money, and we're still paying utility bills,” he said. “It's a disaster, but maybe it will be a catalyst for change. It's time to stop believing everything is rosy in Cincinnati.”

        Restaurants that thrive on deliveries were particularly concerned about the curfew.

        “We'll be closed after eight, and that stinks, because we do a lot of our business after eight,” said Beverly McKee, assistant manager at Papa John's Pizza on West Seventh Street.

        Some business owners were confused about the terms of the curfew.

        Frank Lenkerd, owner of Primavista restaurant in East Price Hill, called Cincinnati police to find out how the curfew affected him.

        “They said we can stay open until 8, but then (diners) can't leave. So we called all of our reservations and asked if they wanted to come in early. None did. So we decided to close.”

        The restaurant lost more than 25 customers.

        The civil unrest has already had a strong impact on the city's nightlife and businesses that profit from it.

        Today's sold-out Taft Theatre show by 14-year-old rapper Lil Bow Wow was postponed until May 15; Saturday's Taft concert by comedian D.L. Hughley was also a casualty of the downtown disturbances.

        Nightclubs in the Main Street entertainment district closed for the weekend — a major economic blow, given the increased business of a holiday weekend.

        Although far from the areas of unrest, Annie's Riverside Saloon (4343 Kellogg Ave., Columbia Tusculum) canceled a Thursday night cancer research benefit by FunRaisers and canceled its entire weekend of entertain ment.

        “Even if the curfew is lifted, we're not going to be able to get a police detail,” said Annie's spokesman Janice Viel.

        Staff writers Larry Nager, Jackie Demaline, Chuck Martin, John J. Byczkowski and Joy Kraft contributed.
       

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