INDIANAPOLIS — Restaurants and other businesses are still trying to fully recover from the hurdles the pandemic placed in front of them.
Since March 2020, many have had big promotions in hopes of bringing people back, but Gatsby's Pub & Grill on the west side hopes their new decor will bring you in.
“It was very hard for the business,” said co-owner Jennifer McClendon.
Like many businesses across the country, Gatsby’s faced many challenges during the pandemic — overcoming, adapting and persevering.
“It paid off well, and we are doing very good right now,” McClendon said.
When restaurants were forced to shut their doors, Gatsby’s was a ghost town. Now, it’s filled with skeletons, monsters and headstones.
“I had no idea it was going to be this big and it gets bigger every year,” McClendon said.
“You haven't lived until you've decorated for Halloween, especially at this point,” said Stan Ignas, a loyal customer and the man behind Gatsby’s spine-chilling new look. "Customers that come in from out of town, they are awed and they're like, oh my God. They're taking pictures and videos, and it just makes you know it's the spirit (that) makes people forget about what's going on right now with the pandemic."
Ignas has been doing this for four years, but this year they hope it brings more people into Gatsby’s Pub and Grill.
“The point of doing this is to bring business in,” Ignas said.
Gatsby's will host a Halloween party at 8 p.m. Oct. 30 featuring a D.J., karaoke and a costume contest.
“We just want to continue to get the business back that we lost before,” McClendon said.
