State, Shady’s Bar and Grill Settle Pandemic Related Lawsuits

(KNSI) — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced Friday that his office settled the lawsuit against Shady’s Bar and Grill and one other business that violated or threatened to violate executive orders during the COVID-19 peacetime emergency.

Governor Tim Walz closed all bars and restaurants to in-person dining, and Shady’s owner Kris Schiffler said he wouldn’t make it much longer if he couldn’t open for business. He had planned on opening his Albany location, but Ellison filed for and received a temporary restraining order barring him from opening the doors. A GoFundMe page had been set up to help Shady’s and other bar and restaurant owners with legal fees. Within days more than $200,000 was raised.

Per the terms of a consent judgment filed in Stearns County, Shady’s will pay $30,000 to the State. All funds received in this settlement go to the State of Minnesota’s General Fund, not the Attorney General’s Office.

According to a press release, the settlement comes after more than a year of litigation. The press release says Shady’s brought counterclaims against the governor and other state officials that were dismissed following opposition from the Attorney General’s Office. In August 2021, the Attorney General’s Office won summary judgment on its claims and was permitted to seek fees for its litigation costs.

Boardwalk Bar and Grill in East Grand Forks was also ordered to pay $25,000 for emergency order violations.

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