Crowd lines up for Slyman’s corned beef on St. Patrick’s Day despite coronavirus concerns

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - It’s full-steam ahead at Slyman’s Tavern in Cleveland, slicing up the corned beef despite last minute changes.

“Yeah, it was a challenging call. We were, everything was up in the air, we didn’t know if we would even open, so it’s been pretty tumultuous," said owner Freddie Slyman.

Sunday, Gov. Mike DeWine shut down bars and restaurants in the state of Ohio, allowing only carry-out and delivery to slow down the spread of coronavirus.

Businesses all across the state had to readjust quickly, including Slyman’s. It’s only doing carryout.

“Just follow the rules. The CDC put out rules and we’re sanitizing, gloves, hats everything, we’re just doing what we have to do. We’re all in the same boat together," said Slyman.

Tuesday, lines were shorter, with some room in between customers for social distancing.

Kyle Mead stood in line for almost two hours. His boss sent him to pickup sandwiches.

“Eleven. We’re gonna go back have some Guinness and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day," he said.

Slyman’s owners said they’re grateful for the support.

“We love our fans and our customers, every single one of them," said Slyman.

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