Bars and restaurants in Chicago packed as people celebrate St. Patrick's Day early
Bars and restaurants in Chicago packed as people celebrate St. Patrick’s Day early
Bars and restaurants in Chicago were packed on Saturday as people started celebrating St. Patrick's Day early, and enjoyed being out without COVID-19 mandates. The Chicago River was dyed green in front of cheering crowds, and people dressed in green lined the parade route. Nate Rodgers reports.
CHICAGO - Inside HVAC Pub along North Clark Street in Chicago's Wrigleyville neighborhood, Irish natives and friends were thrilled for a return to a sense of normalcy on Saturday.
"At one point, we weren’t open, and we didn’t know when we’d open," said HVAC owner Nick Ivey.
The first and second floor were packed with people enjoying live music.
With mask and vaccination requirements now relaxed statewide, bartenders once again had smiles on their faces and were raking in a lot of cash. The owners said they’d possibly triple daily revenue during St. Patrick’s Day festivities.
North Clark had been bustling with people since 7 a.m. Saturday. Heightened police patrols kept an eye on folks way over their limit.
Inside Dimo’s Pizza, there was a non-stop rush of customers all day long.
According to the National Restaurant Association, over 90,000 restaurants closed throughout the country during the pandemic.
St Patrick’s Day festivities are expected to get local businesses on the road to recovery.