Pat Kennedy, bartender at Falbo’s Restaurant and Lounge for sixteen years, expects a large turnout of Saint Vincent College alumni on homecoming weekend. Kennedy reflected on his long history of service to Saint Vincent students and his relationships with each individual who enters Falbo’s.
“It’s the biggest weekend of the whole year. It’s unbelievable,” Kennedy said. “It will be just like a giant Wednesday night on Friday and Saturday.”
For over a decade, Falbo’s has provided service to Saint Vincent students. On Wednesday nights, it has become tradition for students to gather at the little red restaurant and lounge on Unity Street in Latrobe.
Kennedy recalls Saint Vincent students first coming to Falbo’s in 2002. Back then, he said, students used to gather on Tuesday nights. However, he moved it to Wednesday nights per their request. The Wednesday night tradition at Falbo’s started to take off in 2004, Kennedy recalls, but the ritual really exploded in 2007.
Emily Rosati, a Saint Vincent graduate from the class of 2014, plans to make a return to Falbo’s on homecoming weekend.
“I’m looking to returning to my home away from home to visit with friends who have taken time to relive a Wednesday night,” Rosati said. “And of course seeing Pat behind the bar, which makes us all so happy.”
On Saturday Sept. 30, the Saint Vincent football team hosts Case Western Reserve University for a 1 p.m. kickoff. Each year alumni return for this homecoming event to tailgate before the game.
The bartender expects to reacquaint himself with the alumni he has made relationships with over the years, a relationship that continues beyond their graduation.
Kennedy said, “One of the best things for me is going to the tailgate party on Saturday [before the game].”
Kennedy prides himself on his ability to remember the names and graduation years of individual students, as well as memorable stories from his years working at Falbo’s.
After working with the SVC student community for so long, Kennedy notices similarities among graduating classes.
“I don’t know, I’ve just been blessed with that memory,” Kennedy said. “It’s strange. It’s almost always the same, but totally different at the same time, with each class.”
Within the campus community of upperclassmen, Kennedy has become a hallmark of the student experience at Saint Vincent College.
“Pat always creates a welcoming environment for everyone who comes into Falbos,” Russell Clark, junior communication major, said. “He makes sure your first time is special and something to remember, and it wouldn’t be complete without Pat posting a picture on his Instagram.”
Kennedy expressed his feelings in regard to the Saint Vincent College students who have shown their appreciation of his service to them.
“It’s very gratifying. It’s so gratifying to me,” Kennedy said. “People from
Saint Vincent are just so great. Everybody makes it easier. It’s extremely special.”
Photo: Pat Kennedy's Instagram