A bar is showing its employees some love – and getting a fresh new look all in one fell swoop.
The Sand Bar on Tybee Island, Ga., was forced to close its doors when the coronavirus outbreak hit, greatly impacting its bar staff and the musicians who perform at the popular tourist spot.
That’s when Jennifer Knox got an idea.
The bar is known for its special décor – a large painted mermaid, chalkboard sign, and dollar bills lining the walls and ceiling.
Knox, who started as a bartender before eventually owning The Sand Bar, told Fox 28 the money has been collecting for “close to 14 or 15 years” from customers, who will often write something on the bills before posting them on the walls.
“We looked around and we were like, ‘We have money on the walls and time on our hands’, and we just felt this sense of urgency to get these dollars down and into the hands of those who need it,” Knox said to the outlet.
Knox, along with five volunteers, spent three days carefully taking the stapled dollars down from the walls and ceiling.
At the end of the laborious process, Knox said they tallied $3,714 – all of which was divided among the bar’s four bartenders and two musicians.
“Times like this, you’re going to see the best in people right now, and that’s what’s going to get us through this time I think,” said Knox to Fox 28.
The bar started a Venmo account for its patrons and fans to donate straight to the staff, who have been out of work since the mandatory restaurant and bar closures in the state.
Knox, who described the process as a “labor of love” on The Sand Bar’s Facebook page, told Fox 28 that the bar will likely not be starting the bar dollar décor up again once the pandemic ceases, but will still find a way for customers to leave their mark.
