After being shut down due to the pandemic in February 2020, the Drew University pub is set to reopen at the end of October. Following university health and safety guidelines, The Pub eagerly awaits its soft launch on Oct. 21 and 22.
The Pub, which served as the campus COVID-19 testing site last semester, is an on-campus bar where 21+ students, faculty and staff are welcome to enjoy a drink and/or catch up with friends.
“We will be diligent with following the same practices as in Commons and EC,” said Steph Mazzarella, Executive Director of Student Engagement. “Individuals will be required to wear masks when entering the pub and sanitize, we will take it very seriously.”
Students will need to present their Drew ID when entering The Pub. Prior to the pandemic, Drew members were permitted to bring outside guests to the bar, however, due to safety concerns the staff is actively devising a plan for outside guests coming to The Pub.
Once it opens, The Pub plans to host open mics and trivia nights, which used to be visitor favorites, in order to fill the atmosphere once again with laughter and entertainment. While no event dates are currently set in stone, staff are working to produce a schedule which they plan to share with the Drew community in the coming weeks.
“I’m working mostly with revamping the pub,” said staff member and content designer for The Pub’s instagram, Julia Pietro (‘22). “I personally also want to help plan more events for the community, such as bingos, paint and wine and live music.” Pietro was enthusiastic about the reopening and is most looking forward to the new decor and creating a new environment.
Happy hours will continue to be held Thursday and Friday evenings. The Pub’s menu will include wine and beer, with free soda and pizza with a purchase of an alcoholic beverage. According to Petro, the staff is working to remodel the menu to potentially include options for new alcohol-free beverages as well.
Pub hours will be determined based on bartenders’ availability and The Pub is currently hiring up to 10 bartenders to be trained by students with past experience working in The Pub. Applicants must be 18 years of age and do not have to own a bartending license.
Hired students will attend a 3 hour online responsible alcohol serving course, in addition to learning how to do a proper wine pour and operate a beer tap. All staff working in The Pub are responsible for promoting and enforcing responsible drinking. Students can find the application on Handshake or email smazzare@drew.edu for more information about the position or The Pub in general.
For more details on the reopening of The Pub, students are encouraged to follow The Pub’s Instagram page, @pubstagram for updates.
**EDITED 10/28/2021 — a previous version of this article misspelled Julia Pietro’s last name.**
