Eight hundred pounds of pork, 300 turkey legs, 150 slabs of ribs and 4,000 Jell-O shots: These are some of the things Lisa Kennedy, general manager of Kite’s Bar and Grille and Rusty’s, said employees have been spending late nights and early mornings preparing for Fake Patty’s Day. She said there is anticipation for what many bar owners and managers are saying will be another very successful year for the annual celebration.
The Fake Patty’s Day crowd is five times busier than the busiest football games and is a big source of revenue for all bars and restaurants in Aggieville, Kennedy said.
“We are doing very well in pre-sales and are expecting to have a great year, just as well if not better than last year,” Kennedy said. “Our entertainment and food are definitely our biggest selling point this year versus last year.”
Kite’s is trying to draw more customers with more entertainment, featuring 10 different artists and DJs who will be playing throughout the day, Kennedy said.
Many bars have such a demand for business on Fake Patty’s Day that pre-sold tickets or wristbands is what they have found is the best option for maximizing profits and maintaining control of who is in and out of their bars throughout the day, Kennedy said.
“Friday is our biggest sale day for sure,” Alec Begnoche, assistant general manager at Johnny Kaw’s Sports Bar, said. “We have a lot of people that are looking to make sure they have a place to get in on Saturday, and we should have a lot of really fun stuff going on to keep people here.”
With so much competition, many locations are getting creative with how they are getting people to buy wristbands, as well as drawing people to their establishments and keeping them there, Begnoche said. He said Johnny Kaw’s will have raffles, give away free prizes and work with local radio station KACZ Z96.3.
“It’s insane here but I love it,” Begnoche said. “It’s such a fun day to pack the place out and celebrate with all of the fun stuff we have running.”
Katie Bragg, O’Malley’s Alley manager, said owners and bars are taking a multi-venue approach to increase sales. The approach features all-access bands to O’Malley’s, Porter’s Bar, The Salty Rim and Drinx, and these bands are one-fourth the price of Kite’s $20 bands, according to the Little Apple Post’s article “Wristband prices for Fake Patty’s Day.”
“It’s just like Christmas for me,” Matt Ribble, senior in management, said. “I look forward to this every year, and this is my last big thing before I graduate in May, so I think that buying a band is definitely worth it.”
