"Significant Work Ahead" for Restaurant Owners as Saint Patrick's Day Holiday Brings in Customers

In Meadville, Julian's Bar and Grille saw a rush of customers for St. Patrick's Day. 

Owner DJ York was ecstatic about the crowd. He still has vivid memories of the holiday last year, when bars and restaurants were shut down completely. 

He says today gave him a glimpse of what normal could look like.

"I want 100% capacity", said York. "That's all I want. I want to just be able to run my business the way I always have."

He's happy, regardless, that come April 4th, Julian's and other PA restaurants can operate at 75%. York knows it isn't perfect, but believes it's a step towards perfect. 

"The momentum is definitely there", York said. "The opportunity is there to become that."

Voodoo Brewery owner Matteo Rachocki is hopeful to soon be back at 100%, too. He expects that, however, to be a long way off.

Until then, he and staff are planning ways to revitalize and redesign several locations to allow for more customers to sit indoors at one time.

"We've made some investments at our main location in the interim because of the larger occupancy", Rachocki said. "I feel that will be able to perpetuate our business going forward. This particular space has a lot of room for the new revised distancing."

Some of the changes he plans to make? More "barrel" seating, which would allow for numerous individuals tables. Rachocki also plans on adding bar seating once again, spaced far enough apart to meet guidelines.

"At the end of the day, you have so much area", said Rachocki. "When you measure, you can now fit essentially 50% more if you space everything out with the new guidelines."

York is hopeful that both by design and by sheer numbers alone, Julian's will also be able to see a heavier crowd in the coming weeks. 

Could this years St. Patrick's Day be the start of a successful financial year?

Maybe, says York, but the key to a successful year, he says, will be doing something restaurant owners had to do at nauseum in 2020.

"Pivot. Just pivot", York said. "Constantly adapting, overcoming, changing, modifying. Right now, you're looking around, there's not many people in here. Meanwhile, my kitchen is thriving right now. We're putting out a ton of to-go's."