STATE COLLEGE, CENTRE COUNTY - One Penn State bar owner says he's putting pride over profit by not serving alcohol this Saturday.
$5,000 to 34 restaurants and bars... That's $170,000 to State College establishments for not serving alcohol this Saturday.
The money's coming from past "State Patty's Day" parking fees.
WTAJ News spoke to one bar owner that won't serve this Saturday, and found that he figures to lose thousands of dollars.
We talked to the owner of the All-American Rathskeller, one of the 34 State College spots who won't serve alcohol this Saturday. While he figures to lose money, he says it's well worth the cost.
Duke Gastiger, Owner of the All-American Rathskeller says he's putting his community over profit.
"Profit wise, we're giving up about half. We would probably realize about 10,000 dollars in profit that day..."
This is the first year Gastiger will close his bar on "State Patty's Day". It's usually one of the best sales days his bar has. He says despite the soaring sales, student's actions from previous years made him, and 34 others in State College turn off their taps.
"It's embarrassing, that's the one word I would use. It's mayhem, it's a lot of activities on the street that you would not want your children or your parents to see, so there's nothing about that weekend that was good as far as the community's concerned."
Gastiger went to college in the area in the 1970's. He took over the All-American Rathskeller in the 1980's, and raised his family in the State College area. He says it's his obligation as a member of the community, to protect it.
"...I can run a good business with the community, not against it. And I know that if we did open on Saturday we'd be against the community."
"State Patty's Day" was created six years ago by Penn State students, but Gastiger says it's not "Penn Staters" that pose the biggest problems.
"...It's mostly out of town people, and the students themselves that live here in this community are embarrassed. They do not want it here..."
Gastiger says it's not ideal to have to tell visitors not to come to State College. But he says you have to make sure they want to come back.
"...It may take a dollar to get someone to come the first time, but it'll take hundreds of dollars to get them back if you screwed up."
And if you ask Gastiger for a beer on Saturday...
"...Come see me on Monday."
Gastiger adds that he'll decide what to do next year, after he sees how this "State Patty's Day" plays out.
You can find a full list of places which won't serve alcohol this Saturday below:
1. The Saloon
2. Inferno Brick Oven and Bar
3. bar bleu
4. The Hopshop Beer Market
5. The Deli Restaurant (serving food only)
6. Z Bar
7. The Lion's Den
8. The Shandygaff
9. The Tavern (serving food only)
10. The Gingerbread Man (serving food only)
11. The All-American Rathskeller
12. Spats Caf and Speakeasy (serving food only)
13. The Phyrst
14. The Clover
15. Brewsky's Bottle Shop at The Day's Inn Penn State
16. Rotelli (serving food only)
17. Levels
18. Bill Pickle's Tap Room
19. Indigo
20. Allen Street Grill (serving food only)
21. The Corner Room (serving food only)
22. Zeno's
23. Chumley's
24. Zeno's ToGo
25. Sharkey's Bar & Bottle Shop
26. The Brewery
27. The Darkhorse
28. Kildare's (serving food only)
29. Duo
30. Chili's Grill & Bar (serving food only)
31. Caf 210 West (serving food only)
32. Mad Mex (serving food only)
33. Zola New World Bistro (serving food only)
34. The Atherton Hotel (serving food only)
