‘Things got a little crazy’ at Flanigan’s as St. Pat’s crowd defies county virus order
Coronavirus and orders to reduce restaurant crowds didn’t seem to put a damper on St. Patrick’s Day business at Flanigan’s, one of South Florida’s favorite restaurant chains.
People crowded the seating areas outside the Flanigan’s in Coconut Grove and Kendall on the final night before a countywide order to close all restaurants, bars and clubs.
Even before the 11 p.m. closure order was scheduled to take effect, an emergency order was already in effect requiring dining rooms like Flanigan’s to reduce capacity by 50 percent.
Jim Flanigan, CEO of the family-owned chain, acknowledged “Things got a little crazy” at the Kendall Drive location and that some patrons were required to leave to avoid violating the emergency order issued Monday by Mayor Carlos Gimenez.
The mayor’s office sent out a press release shortly after 8 p.m. with a reminder that violating any of the new rules was a “criminal offense.”
Miami Herald staff writer Joey Flechas contributed to this report.
This story was originally published March 17, 2020 at 10:41 PM.