All 3 Uses

patron
in
The Five People You Meet in Heaven
(Auto-generated)

as patrons walked past them
p. 30.6 *

patrons = customers
Many of the patrons appeared to have been wounded.†
p. 100.5
Just beneath that dome, under which all patrons would pass, was the painted face of a beautiful woman.†
p. 120.5

Definitions:

(1) (patron as in: a patron of the arts)
a regular customer; or someone who gives money or support to an organization, cause, or person
(2) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)
In ancient Roman history, patron referred to the more powerful person in a complex client-patron relationship. The term is still used in some cultures today to describe a property owner who is in charge of workers.

Also see patron saint.

Much more rarely, a patron is the proprietor of an inn.