DES MOINES, Iowa — Most restaurants, convenience stores and businesses are closed on Christmas Day, but the Angry Goldfish Pub and Eatery in Des Moines welcomed Iowans in for the seventh holiday in a row.
It's all thanks to owner Clark Way, who also owns The Dam Pub on Beaver Avenue in Des Moines. Way decided to keep his two businesses open on Christmas Day because he wanted to provide a place for families and individuals who didn't really have a place to celebrate.
"You don't want to spend a lot of time with your family, or you have an excuse not to spend an extended amount of time, and then what are you gonna do? Watch 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' the rest of the day?" Way said.
Way offers his employees the option to work because he wants to be respectful of their time around the end of the year.
"Nobody has to work. So they got family, friends, family obligations, we don't make anybody work," Way said.
But nearly a dozen employees showed up on Monday to work and serve hundreds of Iowans who spent their holiday at the eatery.
"We've come every year for the last three years," said customer Amy Sink. "It's awesome."
"It's become a tradition for us," added customer Lucas Fischer. "There's no question. If we just know, they're going to be open, we're going to be here ... It makes the planning simpler too."
On the restaurant's Facebook page, they emphasized the importance of spaces like Angry Goldfish Pub for those who might have nowhere else to go.