Coloured beer and hockey pretty much ensured party-goers would be spending their hard-earned green bills at bars and restaurants Sunday.
The party started at St. Louis Bar & Grill on Elgin St. at 11 a.m.
“It’s pretty full,” said general manager Megan Bishop.
“They’re all wearing green.”
A live band played until 5 p.m., and once the sun set, it was time to cater to Senators fans — watching the home game against the Jets — who left their jerseys at home in favour of festive gear.
Green beer was the drink of the day, as was Guinness.
Further west, doors to the Heart & Crown on Preston St. opened at 9 a.m.
“It’s basically business as usual,” said general manager Marty Pineault.
“It’s a really big party atmosphere here.”
Guinness and Keith’s were in demand.
“There’s no green beer in Ireland, so there’s no green beer here,” said Pineault.
But celebrating St. Paddy’s Day on a Sunday isn’t necessarily the biggest moneymaker, said York Entertainment head Steve Monuk.
“We won’t get busy until late afternoon,” he said.
Most folks aren’t going to be out drinking Sunday at 11 p.m., said Monuk.
Success for bars depends on which day of the week the holiday falls.
This time around, Saturday was still the busiest night for his bars in the ByWard Market.
“(Patrons are) looking for a reason to have fun, do something different, but the day of the week matters a lot,” he said.
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http://www.ottawasun.com/2013/03/17/irish-wave-descends-on-ottawa
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