If you're a Packers fan in New York City and you can't be at Lambeau Field on NFL Sundays, Greenwich Village might be the next best thing.
That's where you'll find fellow cheeseheads cheering "Go Pack Go" at Kettle of Fish, a bar with what owner Patrick Daley calls "a strong Wiscosin tint."
Daley ought to know — he's been in New York since the 1980s, but his Wisconsin accent is still strong. Also just as strong, his love (or maybe obsession) of the Green Bay Packers.
Throughout the years, many Packers greats have visited the small, dimly lit bar. Quarterback and Super Bowl champ Aaron Rodgers even stopped by last year.
Those were happier times. Now the bar is only doing drinks to go because of the pandemic, and no football means no fans — and very little income.
"It beat us up terribly, of course. As it has many others," Daley said, agreeing that while it is a great location, it's also a very expensive location.
He and his wife Adriane turned to their loyal customers for help during these dark times, starting a GoFundMe page to raise some money. And while many regulars and other fans of Kettle of Fish were able to donate, it was a certain one-time customer who gave them their biggest boost, all with an unexpected tweet and a hashtag.
Daley said the change that the simple act by Rodgers brought changes that were "night and day" in terms of fundraising, with more than $75,000 coming in by the end of Tuesday. A Hail Mary of sorts — something Rodgers has pulled off more than a couple of times with the Packers — to save a watering hole that has been around for around 70 years.
"We didn't solicit Aaron's help at all, and for him to just throw that out was a huge boost," Daley said.
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Kettle of Fish was been able to drum up support in a way that another, even more famous Christopher Street bar did just last month.
The Stonewall Inn, just a few doors down from Daley's joint, also put out a call for help as they struggled during the shutdown. And the help came pouring in — more than $300,000 raised so far, a testament to the love in the neighborhood, and the help coming from near and far.
Patrick and Adriane said that the money raised will go a long way in keeping their beloved business alive, but add that it's the messages of support they've received that mean the most.
"The Kettle will go on. One way or the other, the Kettle will go on, and the GoFundMe is a big reason why," Daley said.
