World Economic

The dreary state of the U.S. economy won’t stop the flow of green beer this St. Patrick’s Day.

Although national retail projections are down, management at the Dublin Pub in Dayton believe this year’s crowd will be just as large as last year’s.

The downtown restaurant, at 300 Wayne Ave., typically serves 8,000 people on St. Patrick’s Day. And although the Irish holiday falls on a Tuesday this year instead of a weekend, Manager Josh Forman said this year will be strong.

“It’s one holiday that doesn’t change too much, especially because people are drinking,” Forman said. “If anything, people will want to drink more because of the economy.”

Forman said thousands of people will be out at Dublin Pub and other Dayton gathering spots celebrating, regardless of the economy. The atmosphere lends itself to fun, he said, and the holiday is one when everyone can let loose.

However, Americans in general are likely to spend less this St. Patrick’s Day than last year, according to a new survey from The National Retail Federation. The report said people celebrating St. Patrick’s Day will spend an average of nearly $33 on decorations, food and beverage and festive attire, down from $35 last year. Total spending for the holiday is expected to reach $3.29 billion, down from $3.64 billion last year, according the federation.

The number of people celebrating the holiday is expected drop this year to 44 percent from 46 percent last year. But for those who do celebrate, bar and restaurant celebrations should be strong, with nearly 30 percent choosing to celebrate at bars free credit report and score.

While the 18- to 24-year-old demographic is usually representative of spending the most on St. Patrick’s Day, the group is expected to decrease from an average of $42 last year to $36 this year. According to the survey, 25- to 34-year-olds will spend the most, with an average of just more than $39 per person.

“Increased concern about the economy among young adults has forced many of them to pull back on discretionary spending,” said Tracy Mullin, NRF president and chief executive officer.

But restaurateurs in Dayton think people are more likely to be celebrating harder because of the recession.

Bill DeFries, owner of two Beef O’Brady’s locations in the region — one in Centerville and one in Beavercreek ­— said he expects nearly 2,000 people, up slightly from last year, between both his stores lured in by Irish dancers, bagpipers, live music and corned beef and cabbage.

DeFries said people in the region are starting to feel good with the stimulus and springtime in the mix, coupled with the NCAA Tournament coming to town and general optimism in the community.

St. Patrick’s Day could be the celebration to get people starting to spend again, he said.

“It’s going to be fantastic,” he said. “This is the one day that every human being is Irish for 24 hours. It’s a great situation to come out and have fun.”

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