GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Many businesses in West Michigan closed early or not at all on Wednesday in anticipation of the ice storm. Some local restaurants, however, did everything they could to keep their doors open.
While snow and sleet fell outside, live music filled The Holiday Bar inside for a small group of customers who braved the winter weather.
"We always strive to be a gathering place for our community and to remain open, rain, sleet or snow," Assistant General Manager Blake Edmonds says.
He adds that their phone rang throughout the day with people asking if they were open. A steady stream of to-go and DoorDash orders came in around dinnertime, as well.
People dining in say they either live close-by or they just walked.
"We're a little bit slower during our dinner rush tonight. And I think a lot of people are just worried to brave those Michigan roads, but we still have a nice crowd," Edmonds says.
In anticipation of a slower night, some employees were cut from the dinner shift and their late-night karaoke was cancelled. The rest of the staff made it in to work with no problem.
"We obviously didn't want to deprive them of the opportunity to make a little money, especially when the weather is as bad as it is right now," Edmonds says.
Over at Rockford Brewing Company, they expected business as usual Wednesday night.
"We'll have a regular local people sitting at the bar, just like any other night," Michael Santine, an employee, says.
However, for staff having a hard time coming in or needing to go home early, management was flexible.
"Anyone who lives in town and wants to come in and work, that's great. Anyone who doesn't feel safe driving, or can't get a babysitter for the kids, or anything, it's totally fine, too. We've tried to make everything easy for our employees," Santine says.
Both Rockford Brewing Company and The Holiday Bar said when it came to closing Wednesday night, they planned to keep an eye on the weather throughout the evening to make any changes if necessary.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.