ORLANDO, Fla. – It was this time in 2020 when the theme parks shut down, the governor ordered public schools to take an additional week off for spring break, and bars and nightclubs closed their doors.
Those shutdowns and the struggle to get people to return have forced many businesses to close for good. Many local business owners say they’re finally bouncing back, but it’s been a tough two years.
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As plans are in place in downtown Orlando and throughout Central Florida for this year’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities, many say it’s a reminder of how things changed two years ago.
Jason Lambert, who owns Hammered Lamb in Ivanhoe Village, is like many local bar owners getting ready for potentially larger St. Patrick’s day crowds to mark this year’s holiday. But he says he remembers that holiday in 2020 very well—the same day many bars were forced to shut down.
“The last two years with COVID have been unbearable. As you know a lot of bars and restaurants in the community have shut down,” Lambert said. “We are cautiously excited after the last few years of not having a St. Patrick’s Day.”
He said it’s been tough during the pandemic, though he knows he’s not alone.
Bosko Lazic, co-owner of Gilt Nightclub, said he bought several bars here on Wall Street last month hoping to reenergize the area and help struggling business.
“It was definitely affected negatively and we saw an opportunity,” Bosko Lazic said. “The demographic that was coming down here stopped coming partially because of the pandemic.”
Meanwhile, Executive Director of City District Rosangela Parker said she knows the struggle many businesses have faced and she’s hoping to help with a St. Patty’s Day event they’re planning, complete with live entertainment and vendors at Heritage Square.
“We’ve lost quite a few businesses, we’ve gained a few businesses, the challenge continues to be workforce,” Parker said. “We are all looking forward to welcoming visitors back into downtown.”
The event is part of Third Thursday, a monthly event to celebrates arts, culture and history in the area, and runs from 6-9 p.m. on March 17. It will include more than 16 local businesses, food trucks, live music, gallery hop and live art with free entry to the Orange County Regional History Center in downtown Orlando.
News 6 was told there will also be festivities on Wall Street beginning at 3 p.m.