The owner of Jackson's Blue Ribbon Pub in Wauwatosa said he will open the dining room to the public on May 1, in defiance of the governor's safer-at-home order that bans dining in at least until May 26.

Dan Zierath told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the pub would enforce social distancing and take other precautions, such as questioning customers at the door if they've been exposed to COVID-19 or if they have fevers, but he was determined to proceed.

"I feel like our constitutional rights are being taken from us. And I’m just not willing anymore. What’s going to happen is going to happen," he said.

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The pub, at 11302 W. Blue Mound Road, is one of four pubs and restaurants that Zierath owns. He said that the others — Zisters in Elm Grove and the Thirsty Duck in Wauwatosa and Sussex — could open for dining in within a week after Jackson's.

Zierath said he would keep the capacity below 50% at Jackson's. "I just see no harm in that whatsoever," he said.

Zierath, who attended a rally in Brookfield on Saturday to protest Gov. Tony Evers' extension of the order first issued March 17, added, "I think our governor is abusing his power right now."

He noted that he voluntarily closed his restaurants the day before the order was issued. Since then, he has opened them for carryout, which is allowed under the state order.

The pub will have hand sanitizer at the door and encourage customers to use it, Zierath said.

Asked if he had consulted an attorney in the matter, he said he had and was advised against opening the restaurant.

He said his is a young restaurant group and profits have been used to expand and reinvest in the company. "We don’t have a strong cushion to set on," he said. "Things are becoming dire right now."

He said he hopes to rehire all his kitchen staff at Jackson's and up to a third of the staff at the front of the house.

Zierath said he has applied for the federal Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses and was approved by his bank and at the federal level but didn't know if he would be receiving the loan. The PPP, allocated $349 billion by Congress, ran out of money as of April 16.

He said he has run into criticism of his decision, but said comments have been overwhelmingly positive. "I have a ton of support on social media if we open," he said.

Jackson's would be open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily and would serve its current abbreviated menu. It still would have curbside pickup and drive-through fish fry; customers will be able to call ahead to reserve tables.

Contact Carol Deptolla at carol.deptolla@jrn.com or (414) 224-2841, or through the Journal Sentinel Food & Home page on Facebook. Follow her on Twitter at @mkediner or Instagram at @mke_diner.