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
