College Bars After COVID-19: Marist's Hotspots Change Operations

Students returning to Marist this fall will remember the nightlife of years past, driving to the bars in a cramped cab only to arrive at an even more tightly-packed bar. This semester, however, students will find that going out to their favorite bar will be a brand new — or even unrecognizable — experience.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, New York State instituted a series of restrictive guidelines for bars and restaurants to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Poughkeepsie bars are either deciding not to offer late night service at all or adapting their business to comply. 

Pat Rohan, a general manager at Mahoney’s Irish Pub, noted that the restaurant has already started to implement practices that align with the State’s policies, but they’re “turning people off already.” 

According to the New York State Liquor Authority’s Guidance for Licensed On-Premises Establishments, all customers in any bar or restaurant must remain seated at all times, all drinks must be ordered with a meal and no dancing is allowed. For bars like Mahoney’s Irish Pub, River Station, Union Tavern and Darby O’Gills — all favorites of Marist students — this drastically changes how they’re permitted to conduct late-night services. 

Many of these bars normally operate like clubs, with dance floor space and bar service as part of their after-dinner hours experience. Now, as a result of the COVID-19 guidance, consumption of alcohol “must only occur while customers are seated at tables or bar tops in these spaces,” customers cannot order directly from the bar and all drinks must be consumed along with a food — which is defined as a meal more significant than just chips or wings. 

Weekend nights at Mahoney’s will feel more like a restaurant experience, Rohan said. Mahoney’s will be serving a full dinner menu until 2 a.m., and a pool table has been placed in the middle of the dance floor to prevent customers from breaking the rules. However, the pub has found the rules difficult to enforce.

Mahoney’s Irish Pub in Poughkeepsie, NY, adjusted operations to meet COVID-19 regulations. Source: Natalie Manzi

“We’re doing everything we can because we don’t want people to get sick, but it seems the younger people don’t care,” Rohan said. He claims that bouncers are attempting to enforce the rules, but “as soon as younger people walk in the door they want to take their mask off.” 

The pub still has the same DJs, “but it’s hard to put the music on and tell people they can’t dance,” he said. 

The immediate risks of operating as usual include fines, licensing suspension by the New York Liquor Authority and, on a larger scale, the long-term shuttering of businesses if the state is forced into another shutdown from another coronavirus outbreak. 

Kevin Kihlmire, owner of River Station Restaurant, notes that because of the restrictive guidelines, he has decided to close the restaurant after dinner service each night. 

“If nobody can stand and everybody has to be seated, it’s not worth even attempting to be open [for late-night] right now,” he said.  

The restrictive guidelines will make the bar experience drastically different from what students are used to, and, for River, the consequences for sidestepping the regulations are too great. 

“There’s nothing I like more than having all you guys here, and we’re going to miss it,” Kihlmire said. “But I won’t jeopardize my liquor license and my livelihood for just a little late night business.”

Many bars in New York city have already faced consequences for violating the guidelines from the State, including up to $10,000 fines per violation and immediate suspension of their liquor license. Many of the violations were due to a refusal to follow social distancing guidelines, serving alcohol without food and a lack of face coverings on customers and staff.  

Darby O’Gills declined to comment on the specifics of how they will be operating for the fall semester, but the Irish pub will follow guidelines enacted by New York State. 

Health officials are also warning of the risks that going out to bars and restaurants creates for contracting the coronavirus. Back in June, more than 150 COVID-19 cases were linked to a college bar in Michigan, even though the business followed all regulations regarding social distancing and table spacing.

Although there will still be places for students to go on the weekends, the Marist administration is strongly discouraging students from going out into the Poughkeepsie community at all. The Fall Reopening Plan described both Marist and the community as separate islands, and encouraged students to keep both separate from one another to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

Source: Natalie Manzi