Irish pubs expect muted St. Patrick’s Day
At Tigín Irish Pub in Stamford, the busiest two weeks of the year normally fall between the city’s St. Patrick’s Day parade and March 17. Crowds of greenclad revelers descend upon the pub to enjoy drinks and Irish fare, with live music, dancing and drinking extending to an outdoor tent.
But almost exactly one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, Tigín isn’t planning an all-day party or hiring a band. Because of the state’s continued restaurant restrictions and safety protocols, and the pub’s own strict adherence to safety, the holiday will be just another day of business in 2021.
“I think there’s a desire for people to want to get back to normal, and to have St. Patrick’s Day, but it’s not going to be this one,” said general manager Dani Corbett. “Not at our pub.”
When Gov. Ned Lamont ordered restaurants and bars closed as of 8 p.m. on March 16, 2020, the shutdown was a shock to the entire industry. But it was an even more substantial blow to Irish pubs, who were stocked up on corned beef and cabbage and extra kegs of beer, expecting to head into their biggest business day of the year.
“It probably couldn’t have happened at a worse time for us,” said Johnny Vaughan, owner of Vaughan’s Irish Pub in Hartford. He ended up donating extra food to local homeless shelters, and soon after that closed the restaurant temporarily for six months, as the city had emptied of office workers, travelers and eventgoers.
In the West End of the capital city, The Half Door also missed out on the holiday, which normally pulls in about 10 times the revenue of a normal Saturday, said manager Alex Jensen. The pub traditionally opens at 8 a.m. on March 17 with a “kegs and eggs” style breakfast, and extends the party outdoors with patio seating, weather permitting.
“That was a big wrench in our plans last year, but we’re looking to recover this year,” Jensen said. “Obviously minimally, but to the best we can.”
Restrictions on capacity, table spacing, alcoholic beverage service and party size (limiting tables to 8 guests) will impact the scope of St. Patrick’s Day events at restaurants this year.
Though Lamont recently announced the state would lift most capacity restrictions at restaurants, the next phase doesn’t go into effect until March 19.
Even then, restaurateurs say it won’t make much difference, as tables still need to be spaced six feet apart for social distancing, or protected by non-porous barriers like Plexiglas. That effectively limits capacity.
The state also continues to require restaurants to serve food with alcohol, characterized as “similar in quality and substance to a meal,” and alcoholic beverages may not be served to any patron unless the person is seated at a table or bar and is presently consuming food prepared on the premises. Bars that serve only beverages will remain closed.
At Tigín, Corbett says she doesn’t know what to expect in terms of crowds. But the pub staff is planning to treat it like any other day.
“We still have the same restrictions,” she said. “You can’t drink alcohol without ordering food; our tables have to be spaced. We can only have certain capacity...we can only do what we can do. So it’s really just another day of business for us. And people are really disappointed, but it is what it is.”
“It’s hard to plan this year, because you don’t know if people will be out or not,” said Eamonn Ryan, owner of Playwright Irish Pub in Hamden.
In addition to March 17, Ryan said, Playwright normally also sees crowds on the day of the Greater New Haven St. Patrick’s Day parade, and the restaurant will cater events at private clubs. The club events are “very minimal” this year, he said, and the state’s parades are on hiatus for the 2021 season.
But the restaurant will be serving up its Irish specialties for the holiday: corned beef dinners, sandwiches and Reubens; bangers and mash, fish and chips, shepherd’s pie. Ryan also said he’s beginning to see more guests return for indoor dining, as they receive their vaccinations.
Vaughan’s and The Half Door will welcome diners by reservation on March 17. The Half Door will open at 8 a.m. for brunch until 4 p.m., with guests seated for twohour slots. After 4 p.m., the restaurant will offer regular dining, with a three-course menu.
Vaughan’s will open at 11 a.m. and offers a $35 prixfixe menu, with appetizer, choice of entree, dessert and choice of adult beverage, Johnny Vaughan said.
Neither restaurant will present its traditional St. Patrick’s Day entertainment, which in the past has included Irish step dancers, bagpipers and live bands. But at the Half Door, Jensen plans to stream a live performance by the musical group Flogging Molly.
“This will be our 17th season,” Vaughan said. “This one is a little strange, because I think we all sort of enjoy the normal chaos of St. Patrick’s Day. I think it’s like the best and the worst day, all kind of rolled into one. St. Paddy’s Day is kind of like spring break for adults. I think this year it will be more structured and regulated.”