By Kiera McDonald
Boston University News Service
Many restaurants in Boston were thrilled with the surge in business they experienced on Marathon Monday due to high customer turnout and good weather.
The restaurants along the Marathon route included Time Out Market Boston in Fenway, Washington Street Tavern in Brookline and Baramor in Newton.
Sam Kline, Washington Square Tavern Manager, said Marathon Monday went “amazing” for their restaurant, which set up a grill outside to serve burgers, hot dogs and sausages to people passing by.
“It’s always been our best day, and this year was better than the previous years,” Kline said. “I think partly because COVID was becoming less of a thing and the weather was a lot better.”
Kline said the restaurant opens at 10 A.M. on Marathon Monday instead of their usual 5 P.M. opening time, which means a lot more preparation is needed in advance.
“It’s something we don’t normally do,” Kline said. “It’s specific for that day.”
For Arpit Patel, owner of Baramor, Marathon Monday was a “record” day for the restaurant after the weather hindered business last year.
“Last year, the rain kind of ruined Marathon Monday for everyone, the runners and the businesses obviously,” Patel said. “This year, the weather was kind of perfect.”
Patel said the restaurant renovated its patio with new turf and plants in just a week. “The city was quick enough to inspect and approve it right away. We got a full patio up and running by Marathon Monday,” Patel said.
Patel said the restaurant expanded their brunch menu and featured Hero 95 Lager, a local beer brand. “We were pouring that on draft and that did really well,” Patel said. “Their entire mantra is ‘it’s a beer for athletes.’”
Michael Minichello, general manager of Time Out Market Boston, said his business is within “a few blocks” from the Marathon route and tourists, as well as Red Sox game attendees, crowd the area.
“It really ends up being a whole weekend,” Minichello said. “There’s really just a lot of energy and buzz in the Fenway area for the event.”
Minichello said the amount of customers that come in on Marathon Monday is “weather dependent.”
“We get a little bit of a pre-game crowd, but not much just because it’s so early,” Minichello said. “Then we get a really solid postgame crowd that comes in and that typically falls right in line with where the Marathon is wrapping up.”
Miniciello said the business ran a promotion with Samuel Adams where guests could win Red Sox tickets, along with the kitchen serving pasta specials for runners to “carb up.”
“It’s really seeing how we can make the market interactive for the guests to enhance the experience, but it’s really staffing up and making sure that we’re prepared,” Minichello said.
Minichello said that Marathon Monday has become more significant to people in the city since the Boston Bombing occurred.
“It was just just a fun day in the city and now I think it’s taken on a day of pride for the city where we all came together,” Minichello said. “In the long run, there’s so much positivity that came out of tragedy.”
