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Business & Tech

Bars Gear Up for Biggest Night of the Year

Berkley watering holes prepare for the young, rowdy night-before-Thanksgiving crowds with extra staff and patience.

Well, the big day is finally here. No, not Thanksgiving! The day before. Or, more specifically, the night before–and throw in the first two hours of Turkey Day itself.

The night before Thanksgiving is known as the biggest bar night of the year, when college kids home for the holiday reunite with their high school friends. Even those of us who are out of college know old friends who still come home to spend Thanksgiving with the extended family they left behind in Metro Detroit.

What makes today different than the days surrounding Christmas? And how does a Wednesday in November possibly take the title away from New Year's Eve? Tim Hoffman, bartender and de facto manager at the , explained: "The night before Thanksgiving has got to be our busiest night of the year, or at least one of the top three," he said. "New Year's Eve can't even really top it, because nobody has house parties on the night before Thanksgiving."

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Hoffman said the Front will be double staffed tonight and "packed nonstop from 10 to 2." He also noted that the crowd will be slightly younger than usual, with a lot of patrons in the 22- to 25-year-old age range.

Next door at , there will be extra door staff on hand to deal with the bigger, rowdier crowds, manager Sarah Jankoviak said.

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Just down 12 Mile at the (the martini bar attached to ), the staff is expecting some college-age customers and former patrons who are back in town to celebrate the holiday. "We tend to see a lot of people who are visiting from out of town over the holidays," co-owner Jennifer Stark said. "We're a destination, a community gathering spot, and Maureen (McNamara, co-owner) has the place all decorated, so we know our old regulars will make a point to stop in."

Now let's head over to Coolidge and go a couple blocks south to , where owner Fred Lossia is an old hat at this biggest bar night of the year business. "I've been in the nightlife industry for 15 years, and I own five bars now," he said. "The night before Thanksgiving is a lot of fun, but I have to babysit a little more than usual."

Meaning?

"Well, there are a lot of younger kids out who are home from college. So, we've got to check IDs really well and keep a close eye out for people doing dumb things.

"It's definitely a fun time, though."

If you're braving the bar crowds tonight, please drink responsibly. Be sure to take a cab home or have a sober driver. And, leave a comment to let us know where you're headed!

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