Mount Pleasant area bars, party stores are ready to spread holiday cheer this St. Patrick’s Day

The luck of the Irish will fall on Mount Pleasant area restaurants today as thousands belly up to the bar for a bit of St. Patrick’s Day cheer.

Whether you are Irish or not, the holiday offers a chance to relax with friends and enjoy a variety of holiday-themed beverages and foods.

Bar owners and store managers say they are prepared for the extra business and excited for the holiday festivities. Here’s a rundown of what to expect at venues around town:

O’Kelly’s Sports Bar and Grille, 2000 S. Mission St., opens at 9 a.m. today.

“Traditionally, when we open up, there’s a line outside to get in,” said John Hunter, co-owner of the Irish bar. “People tailgate in the parking lot and they line up.”

The first 50 customers today will receive an official O’Kelly’s Irish shirt, and green eggs and ham are available for breakfast until 11 a.m. Green beer will flow throughout the day.

Hunter said students can expect Irish music and a bagpipe player. An official O’Kelly’s leprechaun will walk around the bar serving drinks and taking pictures with anyone interested.

A large staff will be on hand throughout the day to handle the large crowd Hunter expects.

He said Chuck O’Kelly, his grandfather and the man the bar is named after, will hand out shirts and prizes.

Festive contests and live music will be available at Wayside Central next door.

Green Spot Pub, 808 N. Mission St., is providing an authentic Irish atmosphere.

The doors open at 8 a.m. and green beer and Irish food — including corned beef and cabbage, reuben sandwiches and potato soup — are available throughout the day.

Mike Faulkner, owner of the pub, said everyone gets into the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day.

“Everybody’s happy, everybody’s in a good mood,” he said. “That’s kind of how people are on St. Patrick’s Day.”

Green Spot is decorated for the holiday, and the staff is dressed in green.

As the busiest day of the year for the pub, Faulkner said none of his staff members have the day off. He said he intends to make the holiday as safe as possible for customers.

“We have (Chippewa Cab & Limo) available at no cost to the customer if they’ve had too much to drink,” he said.

Cheers Neighborhood Grill and Bar, 1700 W. High St., will offer Irish-themed food and drinks, including corned beef and cabbage, and Irish soups and green beer.

In addition to bar decorations, the staff also plans to dress for the holiday.

Dominick Miller, manager of Cheers, said St. Patrick’s Day is traditionally a very busy day for the establishment.

“It’s fun — we have a lot of regular customers that come in. They get in the spirit of it and it’s a good time for everybody,” he said.

Mount Pleasant Brewing Company, 614 W. Pickard St., is offering several Irish food and drink specials throughout the day.

The establishment is serving Irish reuben sandwiches and an Irish lamb stew. Beer specials and green beer is available.

The Cabin, 930 W. Broomfield St., opens at noon. The establishment, like the others, is serving green beer and will offer drink specials starting at 8 p.m.

Michael Griffioen, a manager at The Cabin, said he expects to be busy. However, aside from green beer and drink specials, it’s business as usual.

The Bird Bar and Grill, 223 S. Main St., will have green beer on hand for customers.

Manager Ben Breidenstein expects the bar to be at full capacity for the majority of the day and has prepared extra staffing to better serve customers.

Liquor establishments

Local bars are not the only businesses preparing for St. Patrick’s Day.

Dave Devine, owner of The Store, 2128 S. Mission St., is stocking up on Irish beer and whiskey.

“Jameson whiskey is huge on St. Patty’s Day,”  Devine said. “Killians and Guinness beer, we sell a ton of those that day.”

Devine said The Store has 20 to 25 kegs of green beer that will be sold to customers on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Todbld’s Party Store, 104 E. May St., also will have kegs of green beer for purchase. However, Todd Gurzick, owner of the party store, said the biggest seller will likely be its homemade pizza. “Everybody’s hungry, and we’re right within walking distance, so we sell a ton of pizza,” Gurzick said.