School’s Closed, Bar’s Open
As most Poughkeepsie residents were pressing “snooze” on their alarm clocks this snowy morning, some local bar and restaurant owners were getting ready for an even busier day than usual. Despite abundant school and business closings, some local bars are expecting residents to swarm in for a cold drink and a warm meal.
“I have to be honest, the snow tends to bring out drinkers,” said Denise Brady, a bartender at The Derby on Main Street. “I figure they get a little cabin fever and walk to their local bar.”
The Derby’s location makes it a prime spot for locals on snow days like this. “We’re located right next to the historic Union Street, so many of the regulars live here and walked here,” said Matt D’Ereita, bar manager. “I’m actually really busy right now,” he laughed, trying to speak over the volume of all his patrons in the background.
D’Ereita spent the morning salting sidewalks to ensure The Derby’s opening. “As I was driving around, I noticed that most other bars were closed, so I wanted to make sure we were open,” he said.
It does seem that many bars in the area were closed for most of the day today. Schatzi’s Pub, Noah’s Ark, Backstreet Pub, and The Nuddy’s Bar and Grille didn’t answer any phone calls, despite being listed as “open” on their websites.
River Station Bar and Restaurant was one of the many bars that remained closed this morning, but were scrambling to open later in the afternoon. “We’re supposed to be open at eleven,” said their manager who preferred not to be named, “and we don’t know what to expect tonight, but we’re just trying to open!”
“I’ve worked a bunch of snow days, and if you remain open, you get a pretty good lunch crowd”, said Natalie McKenna, Daytime Bar Monitor at Mahoney’s Irish Pub. She noted that the bar had been full since the moment they opened, a little after noon. “The bar is absolutely packed,” she said.
Mahoney’s menu will stay the same for the day, but The Derby will be offering special “snow day” specials all day including half price mimosas and Bloody Marys. “Most people just want to get out of the house and have some good food and drinks”, said D’Ereita. “We’re going to be serving all day, so come enjoy your snow day here!”
