Siné Forced To Have NYE Champagne Toast at 7 p.m. Due To COVID-19 Restrictions

RICHMOND, Va. — Following COVID-19 restrictions that do not permit establishments to sell alcoholic beverages past 10 p.m., Siné Irish Pub has moved their champagne toast from midnight to 7 p.m., the establishment confirmed Wednesday.

“Although we can’t clank glasses at midnight like normal, we’ll still get to toast to 2021 right after an early dinner,” Mark Donahue, a spokesperson for the restaurant said in a statement, adding that the bar would offer early dinner specials to bring in the crowd earlier than normal. 

While not exactly the raucous occasion that it could be, Donahue is hoping that the early dinner will be a hit with the senior crowd. 

“We get plenty of young folk in here,” says Donahue, “but they can be a bit rowdy. Quite frankly, I think having the older ladies and gentlemen in here would be splendid. We could even have coupons!”

Donahue added that the new time will coincide with midnight in Ireland. He reiterated that while he knows it’s still early, there’s nothing he can do about it. 

“We’ll all still get to bring in the new year together, it’ll just be a few hours earlier than normal. The way we see it, people can then go home and do another toast from their living rooms at the stroke of midnight; hell, they can ring in the new year whenever they want. But in here we do it at 7 p.m.”

Donahue went on to confirm that the venue was expecting large crowds for the event, rivaling that of their St. Patrick’s Day event earlier this year. He also added that they’ll be a tad slower, and probably have to go to the bathroom more.