As fall arrives, some local eateries require guests to prove they’ve had COVID vaccine

If you want to eat at Swing Wine Bar & Café — whether indoors or out — you’ll need to bring proof of vaccination and a photo ID.

“What really did it for us was the weather change,” said owner Nicole Butigan, who announced the policy on Sept. 15. “We hadn’t been seating anybody inside because of the nice weather. My staff didn’t feel comfortable waiting on people inside.

“I have an older staff,” she told The Olympian. “Some of them have worked for me the entire time we’ve been open, so 14 years. I have a 65-year-old employee. I have staff members who care for elderly parents and others, including me, who have children at home who can’t be vaccinated.”

Though it is among the first restaurants in Thurston County to institute such a requirement, Swing has company. In Olympia, Cryptatropa Bar began requiring proof of vaccination for indoor seating on Aug. 7.

“We decided to do this after several bars in Seattle had outbreaks and they made the decision to do it,” said Cryptatropa owner Maeve Mageir Boyd. “We feel like it is important to protect our staff and our performers as well as the public.

“We care so deeply about you all that we are willing to risk losing some business — that we sorely need after this last year’s forced shutdown — to set a precedent in our town and protect those who cannot yet be vaccinated,” she wrote in a Facebook announcement about the decision.

Vaccine requirements for restaurants and bars are becoming more common across the state. Beginning Oct. 25, proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID test will be required in King County’s restaurants, bars and entertainment and recreation businesses. Proof of vaccination is also required in bars and restaurants in Jefferson and Clallam counties.

“With the case numbers, I hope Thurston County will move in that direction, too,” Butigan said.

None of the countywide bans apply the requirement to outdoor dining. “At one point, we thought, ‘Oh, should we let unvaccinated people sit outside?’ ” Butigan said. “But we wanted a simple policy, and that’s why we chose to do this.”

Both Mageir Boyd and Butigan have heard mixed reactions to their decisions.

“We have definitely had small tantrums to deal with at the door here and there,” Mageir Boyd said, “but honestly, the sort of folks who choose not to vaccinate — for nonmedical reasons — seem to be the same folks who aren’t considerate in other ways. We have had a serious downtick in any issues inside the bar since our mandate.”

“Some people have been tremendously supportive,” Butigan said. But especially on social media, there have been angry comments, too. “It’s gotten kind of crazy,” she said.

“It’s unfortunate that in Olympia, more nonessential businesses aren’t choosing to do this,” Mageir Boyd said, but she added that she understands why many small-business owners are reluctant.

“Folks are legitimately terrified to restrict any amount of business,” she said. “We are, too. We didn’t qualify for any loans. It would be … amazing if the government could give incentive in the form of tax breaks to small businesses that make this choice.”

Is your business requiring proof of vaccination?

The Olympian would like to provide a running list of Thurston County businesses that are deciding to require proof of COVID-19 vaccination so that residents can make informed decisions about the businesses they patronize. If your business would like to be on the list, please send information about your business and its policy to news@theolympian.com.

This story was originally published October 1, 2021 at 5:00 AM.