‘Brightside Bar’ in Miami celebrates Bills and their new anthem

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — One year ago, in the middle of Miami Dolphins territory, a Bills Backers bar was opened up by husband and wife, Hannah Whistler and Michael Radigan.

“I think we’re probably selling more Labatt Blue than anybody down here in South Florida,” Whistler said.

Whistler, who’s from Orchard Park, and Radigan, who married into the fandom, said on gamedays they light a Josh Allen candle, celebrate big plays with big player heads and, of course, serve up Western New York favorites including wings, beef on weck and loganberry.

“We do a loganberry cocktail and a loganberry shot,” Whistler said.

They even hired some staff who are also from Western New York.

But the name of the bar, ‘The Brightside,’ didn’t have a connection to Buffalo.

“It was actually originally intended to be more of a Monty Python reference — ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life,’ ” Whistler said.

But soon after hosting their first Bills games at the bar, the two started getting text messages. A song, with the same name as their establishment, was becoming really popular at Highmark Stadium on gamedays.

“Everyone was sending us videos from games,” Whistler said. ” ‘Did you name the bar after the song?’ And we were like, ‘No, but you know what, we’ll go with it.’ “

In the fourth quarter at Highmark Stadium, everyone rocks out to ‘Mr. Brightside.’ It’s a tradition that started late last season but ramped up this year.

“Our goal is to get to the fourth quarter and have ‘Mr. Brightside’ playing, and I know the fans love that and it gives us such a little shot of energy,” Josh Allen recently said.

So it’s now something Whistler and Radigan have embraced as well.

“It’s been folded into our gameday traditions,” Radigan said.

And the fans down in South Florida can’t get enough. Whistler and Radigan have had to turn to reservation only these playoffs as the bar has gotten so packed.

“There are a ton of folks between Fort Lauderdale and Miami, and we actually have a pretty big community from Toronto too,” Whistler said.

In a city full of sunshine, this bar has found a ‘bright side’ in a song. And Western New Yorkers have found a ‘bright side’ in a home away from home in the middle of Miami.

“It’s not just a Bills bar on gamedays … it’s every day,” Radigan said.

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Kelsey Anderson is an award-winning anchor who came back home to Buffalo in 2018. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter.

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