Katipunan bar and live music spot Route 196 closes

Another beloved dining establishment has closed its doors amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Route 196, a pub and live music venue on Kapitunan Avenue in Quezon City, on Sunday announced that it is closing permanently.

"Alas, we’re at the end of the road for Route 196," it said in a series of posts on its Facebook account.

"We may be walking towards a different direction for now, but we wanted to make sure you had something to always remind you of our crazy ride together, the things we learned, the noise we made, the rules we broke, and the friends we picked up along the way."

The bar also announced it is selling "farewell" T-shirts for erstwhile patrons to remember it by,

"So here, take us with you in your next journey. And never forget that, for 15 years, all roads led to Route 196," it said.

While the bar did not cite the reason for its closing, COVID-19 has struck the food and entertainment sector hard, with several restaurants shuttering as infection fears and quarantine measures kept customers away. — BM, GMA News