Holiday spirit well stocked at Carol Stream bar
It's gotten easier over time for John Bestler to string the hundreds of multicolored lights and place the scores of Christmas decorations throughout his bar in Carol Stream.
"I've gotten smarter," he said. "I mark everything to make it easier to remember where they go."
But the process still took him until 2 a.m. the Friday after Thanksgiving and a little bit more later that day.
Spectators Bar and Grill, at 552 N. Gary Ave., is more reindeer ornaments and winter wonderland these days than neon beer signs and football games. That's the way it's been since Bestler opened the joint nine years ago.
"People like festive places," he said. "People like to see how much more we're going to put up before we stop."
A mechanic by trade, Bestler decided to open the bar on a whim to see if he'd enjoy the bar business.
"It was my dream, but it's mostly a nightmare," he said with a smile.
Regulars say Bestler has the right touch and Spectators is a unique establishment.
"We've been coming here since he opened the place," said Carol Stream resident John Gray. "He's crazy about decorating, but we're used to it. The thing about this place is the relationships you build over the years with everyone."
Maybe it's because Bestler runs the bar more like an extension of his living room than a business. Thursday's customer appreciation dinner was more like a family reunion with people from all corners of Bestler's world attending.
"I invited people I know because of the auto shop, people I race boats with on the Fox River and other friends. I tell anyone to invite their friends, too," he said.
For the second year in a row he used the event to collect nearly 200 gifts for the Marine Corps' Toys for Tots program. He'll continue to collect toys through the end of the year.
On the weekend, Bestler raffled poinsettia plants every hour. A "major award" will be handed out to the patron who correctly guesses the number of candy canes decorating the bar's Christmas tree.
Bestler's holiday cheer was inherited from his parents, he said. They made a big deal out of all the holidays for the family. Bestler used to keep the bar open on Thanksgiving and serve full-board turkey dinners to patrons who didn't have any place else to go.
The bar will be open Christmas Eve this year for the same reason, and even possibly on Christmas, Bestler said.
Bestler's girlfriend, Lynne Grezek, said she's become accustomed to helping decorate for just about every holiday.
"It's not just Christmas," she said. "At Easter he gives out Easter lillies. Thanksgiving is turkeys. He has a lot of fun."
Bestler said he doesn't mind all the work that goes into decorating and it's not a big deal taking everything down.
"I'm actually faster taking it down," he said.