by Joao Bicalho
Staff Writer
Since the doors of the Gas Knob Pub opened May 23, the owners of the Irish-American sports bar, Michael Hennessy and Ralph Tiernan, were expecting to bring more splash to the block as a family bar and restaurant in the Sports Complex.
They did it.
More people are showing up and many are becoming regular customers.
The pub’s name is Irish slang for a guy who’s fun to be around.
Brandon Buell, the pub’s business coordinator, has been with the pub since it opened its doors next to the Arena in the building previously occupied by Amsterdam Cafe. The reason for the pub’s one-and-a-half month success is clear to Buell.
“Outside the perfect location, the mixture of live entertainment combined with Irish-American cuisine truly sets the Gas Knob Pub apart from all other venues,” he said.
There aren’t many neighbors around and still the pub has been able to reach out to a different demographic, said Buell. Athletes, coaches and media crews have already made appearances.
The pub offers two outdoor patios and has the capacity for 183 people, Buell said. The busiest time of the day at the pub is during lunch hour. Not only is the restaurant the only one around the Sports Complex, but the customers have been getting very personal service, said Buell.
During the weekends, live entertainment and the Suns fans bring a very nice blend of customers, he said.
The pub offers a daily happy-hour from 4-7 p.m. and features two-for-one draft beer, bottled beer and well-liquors.
“There are at least 10 different kinds of draft beers and bottled beers,” said Buell. “Budweiser and Bud Light are the most popular ones, but Guinness also does very well here.”
The most popular dishes are the knobberz chicken wings (served hot, medium or mild), the chipotle barbecue bacon burger with pepper-jack cheese, the Panama chicken sandwich (citrus, cajun dusted or grilled), the Shepherd’s pie and the eggplant Napoleon, said Buell.
The pub’s best advertising tool is the word-of-mouth spread by regular customers, said Buell.
Anthony Norton returned to the pub and brought some friends with him.
“Every Tuesday they have live events and they’re awesome,” said Norton.
The exposed bricks add a lot to the Irish atmosphere, he added.
What about the food?
“The food is banging,” said Norton.
Hennessy, restaurant co-owner and chef, said the restaurant is doing well at lunch and his main goal is to “pick up dinner.”
As for the expectations he had before opening the pub and the results he’s been having, they were real.
“We’re getting better every week,” said Hennessy, who knows the hospitality industry well and was born in it. Hennessy’s father was 27 years old when he had his first pub in Ireland.
“I love it,” he said.
The owners also own and manage the Fly’s Tie Irish Pub in Atlantic Beach.
356-2466