London set for its first real St. Patrick's Day in 3 years

For those in the bar business like Siva Markandu, St. Patrick's Day will forever bring up painful memories of March 16, 2020. 

Then's when it became crystal clear the COVID-19 pandemic would have a massive impact on the bottom line, with wide-ranging consequences for months to come. 

On that day, bars and restaurants were ordered closed. 

"I remember that," said Markandu, the general manager of Chuck's Roadhouse Bar & Grill on London's Richmond Row. "The next day was St. Paddy's. It was going to be the biggest night of the year and suddenly, it was gone." 

Last year, Chuck's was able to open with reduced capacity. But tonight, Chuck's and every other bar in London will be open without COVID-19 capacity restrictions, and no requirement to provide proof of vaccination. 

The only COVID-19 related restriction in place this year is a requirement that staff wear masks and customers wear them unless seated. 

"This year, it's back to business as usual," said Markandu. "We expect to be busy and we are ready."

He's not the only one who expects this to be the busiest St. Patrick's Day in three years. 

Not only will most COVID-19 restrictions be lifted, the weather is forecast to hit 18 C in the afternoon. Customers, students in particular, could be looking to let loose after a cold winter made worse by an Omicron outbreak that put a damper on New Year's Eve celebrations. 

"We open at 11 a.m. and we'll have lineups sometime around then," said Markandu. "By the end of the night, we should have put 200 customers in, easily." 

Mike Smith, who owns Toboggan Brewing Company, Joe Kool's and the Runt Club, also expects to be busy but said his customers will also be careful.

"I think with the good weather, people will be outside on patios," said Smith. "But there will still be some COVID-19 caution going on."

Some are exercising caution, on a sliding scale.

Lost Love, a downtown club, posted this video on Instagram on March 3. It shows unmasked revellers dancing in a packed club under title cards that say "Lost Love is Back" and "COVID restrictions gone."