Irish EmBAssy hopes to reopen By St. PAtriCk’s DAy
‘Every time we got going, another issue would shut us down,’ owner says
If you think the summer has been long and hot, imagine what it has been like for the owners of the Irish Embassy Pub & Grill, dealing with their own issues, delays and red tape for more than five months.
“It’s been tough. You have to accept what it is. There’s been down days and up days. I try to keep positive about it,” co-owner Paul Quinn said.
The bustling Bishop St. landmark, which has played host to Canadian prime ministers and other political figures, is still waiting to be rebuilt after the bar was gutted by a five-alarm early-morning fire on March 24 that required more than 100 firefighters.
The blaze, which started on the top floor of the three-story structure, was determined to be electric-related, either due to a computer or power bar. Arson and foul play were ruled out after an investigation by city officials.
Quinn, along with his partner, Joe Cannon, the bar’s general manager, were told by their insurance company it would be six months before work on the building was completed. But now, the two simply hope the business can reopen for St. Patrick’s Day, slightly more than six months away.
Cannon and his wife attended a movie the night before. He put his cellphone on mute and thought it was a prank when the calls started pouring in the following morning.
“I think we’d be lucky if we got opened for then, extremely lucky,” Cannon admitted. “It would be nice. Obviously we want to be open. It would be almost like a sign, maybe, that things will go our way for once.
“It (any further delay) would be a hit, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world. It’s our goal to be open by then.”
Between the insurance company doing its due diligence, there were delays in receiving permits, engineer’s reports that found a plethora of structural damage due to water and mould, and poor weather conditions — including snow, rain and freezing rain — that further delayed the rebuilding process, not to mention the recent construction holiday.
“Every time we got going, another issue would shut us down temporarily,” Cannon lamented.
The fire came only weeks after the bar opened a room in the basement, at an expense of more than $300,000, featuring their own line of craft beer. Cannon said business had decreased by as much as 12 per cent over the winter due to a variety of reasons, including: the three-year marathon construction project along the street, and more restrictive smoking laws, making their outdoor patio moot.
He said the Canadiens failing to make the playoffs had a negligible impact on business, suggesting the periodic closure of the Guy exit off the Ville Marie Expressway had more of an effect.
“A lot of the downtown businesses have taken a bit of a hit,” Cannon said. “It’s not just because of the construction. It could be worse. At least you can get up and down Bishop. But there’s no flow in the city. Nobody can get downtown.”
The bar employed between 40 and 45 staff in the winter and slightly more through the summer months between those working part-time and full-time hours. All have been hired by other establishments in the area, including Tim O’Melia, a bartender who had been at the Irish Embassy for nine years. He now works at Ziggy’s Pub on Crescent St., but called the fire “absolutely devastating and terrible.”
The Irish Embassy wasn’t the only business affected by the fire. It’s neighbour, Comedyworks, has also been closed. It has since moved its shows to McLean’s Pub on Peel St. But Grumpy ’s, which is downstairs and wasn’t as severely damaged, has reopened.
This has been a particularly busy year for insurance claims, between last spring ’s flooding and a fire at McGill University, further delaying the process, Quinn said. But they have been provided with the insurance money and, once the actual rebuilding begins, hope it can be expedited, he added.
Both Quinn and Cannon are married to working wives they’ve leaned on the last few months, not to mention dipping into their personal savings accounts. The two have poured their hearts and souls into the business for close to 11 years and are eager for the reopening to occur. They’ve also been touched by the outpouring of support they’ve received from patrons and the Irish community.
“It was our lives. It’s what we do,” Cannon said.
“We were very proud of what we were able to build from zero. We were both quite devastated.
“We’re quite proud of everything we accomplished. We are trying hard.”