Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Biggest bar night of the year underway


Bartender Annalee Burkley prepares the bar for the Thanksgiving Eve crowd as West Side bars and clubs anticipate another big night. Keeping patrons safe is a number one priority for SOHO Burger Bar Owner Jay Mano. “We want to make sure that people feel safe when inside and that they get home safe after,” Mano said, “We don’t want to let it get to busy where people are stepping on each others toes where it could turn into a fight.” SOHO uses ID scanners so anyone causing a problem can have his or her ID scanned and banned from SOHO for life. Tim Walton, events manager at Venu, 75 W Chippewa St., says. “Everybody has off the next day whether you’re a teacher, or trade worker,” Walton said. “You have the next day off to relax, it’s not like Christmas were there are presents to be given and opened the next day.” With this night featuring more of a crowd than other nights, it’s important for bars to be prepared. “We throw a lot of events so we always make sure we have a lot of security and people ready,” Walton said. “Making sure no one sneaks in, we just want to have excellent customer service.” By Zachary Memmott and Khalid Terrell