St. Patrick’s Day is holiday known for the Irish culture, wearing green attire and of course, exceptional alcohol consumption. All over the country, local watering holes are filled to the brim with customers looking to celebrate, and each establishment is working to maximize their business.
For many of the bars and restaurants in Bowling Green, Guinness tinted like shamrocks become the preferred drink. Millions of pints of the Irish dry stout will be consumed all over the world, but that is only the beginning of the festivities.
Extended hours, discounted prices, breakfast and plenty of Irish fare contribute to making this weekend one that students and community members refuse to miss. Drake Doren, a manager of Liquid Bar, said as much in a phone interview.
“It brings out a lot of people to a lot of bars,” Doren said. “Whether it rains, snows, or whatever, people are going to come.”
That rings true even for Liquid’s outdoor patio Tiki, which is set to open this weekend. The weather projects to be in the low 40s and snowy, but that won’t stop their patrons from standing outside at noon and consuming giant green pitchers for $5.
Other locations are selling green shots for as little as $2.
If last year’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations which took place on a Friday were any indication, this year’s festivities figure to be even larger. This is the first year the holiday has fallen on a Saturday since 2012.
Beyond the alcohol, many locations are selling breakfast, with some places opening as early as 5:30 am. Patrons can begin drinking early in the morning and enjoy a free breakfast in what some people fondly dub “kegs and eggs.”
The free breakfast is so coveted that many locations, including Ziggy Zoomba’s, have to limit the promotion to those who bought official t-shirts or other gear, which sold out days ago.
Despite all the time bars will be open to serve customers, these businesses would like to remind people that there is certainly a limit to how much a person should drink. Bree Sabin, a Ziggy’s bartender and marketing assistant, stressed the importance of safety during the party.
“We are anticipating a rise in revenue and alcohol consumption because customers have a lot longer to consume alcohol,” Sabin said. “However, our staff has been properly trained to identify when customers need to be cut off to ensure their safety.”
If there is one other thing that can be ensured, it is that this year’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations will the busiest for the next several years. In 2019, St. Patrick’s Day will occur on a Sunday, during which students will be gone on Spring Break. There’s no telling how negatively businesses could be affected for next year, but it is something that folks like Sabin keep in the back of their mind.
“As of right now, we are focusing on St. Patrick’s Day events this year,” she said. “(But) we will be making the necessary steps to ensure success next year as well.”
For now, though, anticipation is building for members of the Bowling Green community. This year’s festivities are poised to be some of the biggest in recent history as well the foreseeable future. Complete with green beer, breakfast and kissing the Irish, Bowling Green’s local businesses will be looking to make it as enjoyable, profitable and above all, safe as possible.
