Many local restaurants in Athens will not be opening their doors Christmas Day, instead using the time to spend the holiday with their families.
“We’re a real family business so we want to spend that day with our kids,” said Bill Justice, the owner of 9 Tables. “It’s not so much about what business we might lose but it’s the fact that we'd rather spend that time with our kids. I don’t think we lose that much business anyway.”
It’s a short break, however; employees for the restaurant will be back to work the weekend after Christmas.
Karie Albers, an employee at Court Street Diner, said that in previous years when they were open for Christmas Eve they didn’t have a lot of business so now they close for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
The owner of Restaurant Salaam, Hilarie Burhans, said although the business is closed on Christmas Day, she brings people in if they’re looking for a place to eat.
“What happens for Christmas is I have my family Christmas dinners there because (my family has) outgrown my house,” she said. We always end up taking in and feeding people who happen to come by the restaurant looking for some place that is open.”
Unlike many other local restaurants in Athens, Union Street Diner only closes if there is a maintenance difficulty or power outage, said general manager George Young. USD will be open Christmas Day.
“It’s not super busy Christmas Day (but) the evening is fairly busy for people coming back from Christmas dinner and not wanting to heat up Christmas leftovers,” he said. “And then a lot of the foreign students who don’t have anything to do will come in.”
Young said that nothing is finalized but there have been thoughts about a special Christmas dinner that’s a little bit cheaper than it would normally be.
Many of the restaurants like, 9 Tables and Restaurant Salaam said that although they are closed for Christmas they have great things in store for New Year's Eve.
“We do a special New Year’s Eve," Justice said. “I’m not sure about the New Year’s Eve menu yet. It’s whatever I can get fresh and local. When people come in for New Year’s Eve I’m going to get to cook really cool stuff for them all night.”
@annachristine38
ag836912@ohiou.edu
