The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Getting to know other patrons
Close Quarters doesn’t deliver your typical Northeast Ohio experience
Close Quarters Pub in Avon Lake sits on the shores of Lake Erie and is one of the smallest pubs in the United States at no more than 600 square feet.
For decades, the pub at 31953 Lake Road has served as a getaway destination for beer enthusiasts across Northeast Ohio who desired a different experience from your average sports bar.
Tom Murphy has owned Close Quarters since December of 2015 and has worked to maintain the atmosphere that previous owners had developed.
The pub offers a different sort of experience in the fact that there only about 12 stools, no television screens and has a very particular charm to it. The inside is covered with vintage signs from decades past that add to the character of the pub’s lakeside location.
The location dates back to the 1930s and originally operated as a coffee and sandwich shop. It was originally known as Mark’s Place and owned by Mark Horwedel where they sold sandwiches, hot dogs, sandwiches and coffee. In the 1960s and ’70s it was called Ted’s Place and operated by the Tomanek family.
Over time the location transitioned into a bar and restaurant. However, beer has long been a staple offering going back to the early days.
In the early 1980s it was owned by a retired math teacher who christened it as the Aftermath Pub. The concept was originally based on English culture from many trips taken to England by a previous owner.
It has been known as the Close Quarters Pub since 1985 and is recognized as one of the smallest pubs in the United States and the world. Prior to Murphy, Close Quarters Pub was owned and operated by Harry Schindler and his wife Carole for 27 years.
A hidden jewel in the Northeast Ohio beer scene, the pub takes you back to a time before social media and smart phones were prevalent and is a place patrons can strike up conversations with total strangers without the distractions of everyday life.
“When you come in here, if you don’t know someone that’s here, you’ll know someone by the time you leave,” Murphy said.
Murphy says that some people are taken aback by essentially being forced to interact with other patrons. The more intimate location has fallen outside of the norm with larger pubs becoming the standard, he says.
Murphy related many stories of patrons that regularly make the trek from Cleveland’s east side suburbs on a regular basis as well as lifelong Avon Lake residents who have come to discover and rediscover the location in their own backyard.
“A lot of people come from the east side regularly, so much that I can tell you what they drink and what they eat,” Murphy said.
Close Quarters is nestled in a mostly residential area of Avon Lake and offers a lot to beer enthusiasts who take the time to discover it. Four beers are on tap and Murphy rotates regularly. He highlights Ohio-based beers in the ever-expanding beer scene.
“I think there are a lot of great beers in the area. We have Sibling Revelry in Westlake that just popped up. Platform Brewing has a great presence now and also Great Lakes. You know, Great Lakes has been the standard for a long time,” he says.
Murphy said that his personal favorite beer is Great Lakes Brewing Company’s Irish Ale and sees the industry continuing to expand in the years to come.
“It is unbelievable. And even out here (in Avon Lake) it is positive and it great that so much is going on,” he said.
With the very fast growth experienced by Avon Lake and Avon over the past two decades, Murphy is hopeful that small businesses will be able to continuing flourishing and maintain the character of the community.