It only takes a coin flip and a lucky guess at Flip Night at Faegan’s Cafe & Pub to get a draft beer, normally $5.25, for only one dollar.

“It’s a good midweek break from classwork to enjoy some good beer and good people,” said Jessica Szela, a Syracuse University senior. “I enjoy the vibe. No matter how packed it gets, it still feels like a chill time.”

The event occurs from 9 p.m. until closing, which is at 2 a.m., on Wednesday nights, bar manager and bartender Kyle Schirtz said. He’s been working at Faegan’s for two years, and said on any given Flip Night, there could be anywhere from 300 to 500 people at the location.

“It gets people out on a random weekday night that they wouldn’t normally come out on,” he said.

The bar has to nearly triple their staff in order to keep up with the numbers, Schirtz said. On a regular, busy night, Faegan’s will have two bartenders on deck, but with Flip Night, the bar is manned with five bartenders, an extra barback and a full door staff for security.

But if people get there early or stay later, the crowd is mellow. It becomes a hangout location as opposed to a packed bar, Szela said.

While Flip Night may not be considered a tradition among all students, it’s a tradition at the bar. The event has occurred for decades, every year bringing new students who are eager to score cheap beer.

“Flip Night is most definitely my favorite night of the week,” said Staci Downing, a senior graphic design major. “It’s a really chill environment with great music, and I get to see people from all parts of campus every time I go.”

Flip Night is mostly for seniors because when she turned 21 as a junior, she couldn’t fully enjoy it until her graduating class could join, Downing said.

Because Flip Night is so popular, the bar can easily be packed and uncomfortable, but most students don’t care because they know they’ll have a great time.

“If you can survive the 10:30 p.m. to (midnight) rush of people, you can survive anything,” Szela said.

Published on May 8, 2018 at 4:06 pm

Contact Brooke: bnkato@syr.edu