Bar Rescue host Jon Taffer told panelists of CNBC's Closing Bell that Obamacare and its administration-decreed delays are leaving people in his industry "concerned," "hesitant to make an investment," and "frozen" Friday afternoon.
"The bar and restaurant industry has been plagued by regulatory matters for years," he said. "Political matters for years about liquor consumption, things like that. The Obamacare impact is real. There are people that are concerned, people that are hesitant to make an investment, make a step forward. I really feel this tentativeness about it, and the delays just seem to increase the tentativeness. People aren't getting their arms around what it means, so they're frozen."
The federal law, already beset by a disastrous rollout, glitch-ridden website, job losses and canceled policies, was delayed again this week by allowing insurance companies to continue offering plans previously considered "sub-standard" by the government. This move was widely viewed as a means to avoid another wave of cancellations this fall when vulnerable Democrats seek re-election in the 2014 midterms.