Why Vine Street Pub's reopening means so much

What she's saying: "I was trying to be patient," she says about the wait. "We were fearful [it wouldn't ever reopen], but at the same time, we knew how successful it was. So we were expecting to see ourselves back here."

The vibe: Others felt the same. Within minutes of its reopening, Vine Street's bar stools were full along with half the tables.

• On opening weekend, a woman came out of the bathroom crying because she was so happy to be there again, a bartender recalls.

Dig in: The most noticeable change at Vine Street is servers taking credit cards — it previously only took cash.

• Brewer John Fiorilli also updated a number of the beer recipes to more modern tastes and added a hard seltzer to the menu.

Context: Mountain Sun brewery owner Kevin Daly delayed opening the Vine Street location in part because he struggled to find good workers, he says. The company also dialed back in the wake of the pandemic. It is open from Thursday to Saturday to start.

• But seeing the outpouring of support in the first weeks, he admits he maybe should have opened earlier. "It's really heartwarming to see everybody coming in," Daly tells us. "It made all the last four years worth it."

My thought bubble: Vine Street reopening is such a momentous occasion because of its 16-year history. It served craft beer before craft beer became cool — the place where many locals first tasted full-flavored beer and where geeks met to trade rare brews from out of state.

• What's more, the rebirth defies the trend lines and comes at a time when we need a neighborhood spot to connect after the pandemic.