Customers, businesses impacted by Spectrum internet outage

On a warm day like Monday, the Cleveland Tailgate Sports Bar and Bistro would be packed.

“Good food, good cocktails, good time. Just a good family vibe, period,” said Cleveland Tailgate Sports Bar and Bistro Manager, Lonnie White.

But due to an unexpected internet outage, they sat empty for most of the day.

“Hey, it usually is busy,” said White.

On Euclid Avenue, just across from Cleveland State University’s campus, is the Cleveland Tailgate Sports Bar and Bistro.

Having been open for a little more than one month, White says he can’t afford to lose business, so when he opened the sports bar on Monday and realized he didn’t have any internet service, White tells News 5 he took a big hit.

“I probably lost about 70% of my sales because when you tell people you can only accept cash, a lot of people don’t even carry cash anymore, just card,” said White.

White says not having any internet service even impacted his cable television and his point of sale (POS) register system for cash purchases.

“I actually lost an order, maybe $160 because when it went back down the people just got frustrated and I had already made the food, and they left,” said White.

News 5 reached out to Charter Communications, and in an email, a spokesperson said the outage happened after a main powerline struck multiple fiber optic lines in Cleveland Heights near Euclid and Lakeside in the early morning hours.

The company told us 50% of restoration had been completed just before 8 p.m. on Monday.

“I just feel as though if I’m paying for a service, I should be getting compensated or some type of way for the service that I’m paying for,” said White.

Charter Communications expects full restoration sometime before midnight.

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