Hundreds Fill Monmouth County Bar After It Turns Off NFL

FARMINGDALE, NJ — How many patrons does Farmingdale bar Woody's Roadside Tavern usually get on a typical Sunday?

"About 50-100," said bar owner Rob Johnson, 52. But yesterday, Sunday, Nov. 11, the bar was inundated with clientele, some of whom drove for hours to be there, after Woody's decided to turn off the NFL in honor of Veterans Day. Related: Farmingdale Bar Bans NFL For Veterans Day

"It was really unbelievable, I've got to be honest," said Johnson, who is actually one of three owners of the Monmouth County watering hole and restaurant (we hear they serve good steaks). "We were blown away. I'd say we had over 500 people here all day long; the bar was packed and people were waiting up to two hours for a table."

Some people, all veterans of the U.S. military, even drove for hours to get there, coming from South Jersey and even Pennsylvania, after they read about the bar's decision online. Woody's decided to turn the NFL off after a regular bar patron, a Vietnam and Korea veteran, asked them to not show any NFL games this past Sunday in honor of Veterans Day.

Johnson said they're keeping it going: They won't show any Monday Night football tonight, Nov. 13 and the bar is thinking about keeping the NFL games off for the rest of the season.

"We really were not trying to make a big political statement," he said. "But veterans see the American flag differently that those who have not served. They actually offered to die for that flag and one day they'll be buried in it. To see someone not giving the flag the respect it deserves bothers them."

Woody's also donated 20 percent of food sales Sunday to the Green Beret Foundation, which supports local military families in need.

All photos provided to Patch by Woody's