INDIANAPOLIS — Two Irish bars sat relatively quiet on Monday afternoon. It's a short break in the celebrations that are expected to ramp up again on Tuesday.
“All things Irish sell a lot better this time of year,” said Joel Reitz, the general manager of O'Reilly's Pub & Restaurant.
“St. Patrick’s Day is my Super Bowl,” said Angela Halsey, owner of McGilvery’s in Speedway.
Halsey said being an Irish establishment draws large crowds every year.
“Being a local Irish establishment, people just come out of the woodwork for St. Patty’s Day,” she said. “It’s a beautiful thing.”
According to industry estimates, Americans are expected to spend about $7.7 billion on St. Patrick’s Day celebrations this year.
"Up from $7 billion a year ago. Participation is expected to remain pretty strong, driven by social gatherings," said Kelly Beaton with The Food Institute.
Much of that spending will go toward food, even as grocery prices rise. Corned beef, a traditional St. Patrick’s Day meal, has become more expensive.
"Corned beef retails right now at approximately $8 per pound throughout the U.S. I saw an advertisement for it at $11 per pound, which is roughly a 9% increase year over year," said Beaton.
Restaurants are feeling those higher costs as well.
"A restaurant plate for St. Patrick’s Day dinner that would have cost $10 five years ago would now cost about $15 today," said Beaton.
“But we’ve been very fortunate to keep reasonable prices,” Halsey said. “We haven’t had to do anything drastic. If you’re smart about portions and purchasing, you can maintain a decent price.”
For small businesses, the holiday can make a big financial difference.
“It can be a make-or-break day,” Halsey said. “We’ve always been very blessed for it to be a make and not a break.”
“It brings in a lot more money revenue-wise for a small business like us,” said Reitz. “It’s very advantageous to have St. Patrick’s Day weekend.”
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