TOLEDO, Ohio — On New Year's Eve, some downtown Toledo spots were doing those last minute touch-ups to get ready for the big celebration as the world says goodbye to another year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We are seeing more and more people coming out on weekends during this," explained Toledo Spirits general manager, Ben Bodi. "So, we're anticipating quite a few people here tonight to kind of ring in the New Year."
Bodi said the pandemic hasn't been slowing down the holiday season at the distillery.
Guests are ready to enjoy a night out on the town again and New Year's Eve is no different.
It's a similar situation over at The Heights Toledo.
"There is a lot of positive feedback coming in," said executive chef and beverage director, Michael Rigot. "We have a lot of people so excited just to be out and be able to celebrate things. It's completely different from last year."
Masks are optional at both places.
At the Heights, there is a capacity limit and tickets are required.
As for Toledo Spirits, you might want to get there early. "We've got plenty of seating," explained Bodi. "We've got two areas upstairs and then we've got a brewery downstairs. It's pretty much first come first served."
Come prepared to raise a glass because whether you're at the Heights or Toledo Spirits, you'll get to enjoy a complimentary glass of champagne at midnight.
And at the end of the day - or in this case, year - these two downtown joints want everyone attending to stay safe and have a great time ringing in the New Year.
"We're cautious. We're taking the steps to make sure everything is sanitized in between seatings and things like that," Rigot explained. "Just making sure that everyone here - our employees, our guests - everyone is taken care of and everyone is safe."
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