Weekend business booms thanks to Lotus Festival; restaurants plan for 2007

Restaurants in downtown Bloomington faced massive crowds thanks to what Lotus Festival veteran and volunteer committee member Lynn Schwartz said was the biggest Friday and Saturday night ticket sales in the event's history.\nOwners, servers and restaurant managers said they were "filled to capacity" as festival-goers enjoyed the crisp fall evenings by eating outdoors. \n"It was definitely busier (than past years)," Opie Taylor owner Eric Havill said. "Saturday was a huge deal. This year even blew last year away."\nManagers said they had to bring in more workers and they look forward to Lotus Festival every year. \n"Lotus is the pinnacle of our year," said Molly LeCount, manager of Bloomingfoods Theater Café.\nTrojan Horse manager Aaron Kozlovic was new to Lotus Fest this year and said he was excited about the extra business. Kozlovic said the wait was double what it usually is and the restaurant had two extra servers to help with the increased flow of customers. \n"It was a lot busier," he said. "A lot different crowd. A lot more diverse and intoxicated. The business was up by a decent percentage."\nManagers and servers from Grazie Italian Eatery and Malibu Grill said they usually are at full capacity most weekends, but this weekend the patios were in extra-high demand.\n"We had a real busy night," Malibu Grill manager Matt Hoff said. "The patio was full. People were really enjoying the music, and it was a slamming party out there all night."\nSome restaurants were underprepared for the influx of patrons. Roots Restaurant and Juice Bar had noodles, kabobs and sandwiches available for sale on the sidewalk, but manager Ryan Dauss said he was not ready for all the business inside. \n"When venues were letting out, everyone wanted specialty drinks at once," he said. \nDaus said he will make a better game plan for next year's Lotus Fest to make sure the restaurant is prepared.\nAt Subway, 200 N. Walnut St., a much different scenario played out. Brandon Bday was left alone to handle the store, unaware of "where all that music was coming from." At about 8:45 p.m. Friday, he decided to frequently close the store, leaving customers looking frustrated inside as he took breaks to smoke cigarettes.