Six Years in the Works, Irish Pub Opens in Fanwood

Sean Flannery sits on the floor of his pub, screwdrivers and hammers scattered on the tiles around him. The lights are off; grey light filters through the raindrops and mist that clings to the pub's windows. On the heels of a heatwave, it is fittingly Irish weather for Fanwood's new Irish pub.

Today is Tuesday, one of the two days each week that Flannery's Pub is closed. And two weeks after the pub quietly opened its doors to the public – an unannounced "soft opening" – there is work to be done: furniture to assemble, beer to be delivered, dinner menus to finalize. 

Sweating from the heat and humidity outside, Flannery wears gym shorts, a long-sleeve t-shirt and sneakers. He squints as he puts the finishing touches on a new high table, ensuring that the circular tabletop is firmly affixed to the base. 

"I'm putting in 120, 140 hours per week," he said, running a hand through his hair, parted down the middle. "But in two to four weeks, everything will be running smoothly."

When Flannery's Pub opened June 30, it became Fanwood's first new bar in 22 years. It is a project that Flannery, who grew-up in Fanwood and lives in Mountainside, has pursued for six years. His co-owner and the pub's head chef, Brian Walter, has worked with him for four of those years.

"It's exciting," Walter, a Fanwood resident, said in a phone interview Wednesday. "This is something I think is needed in our town. I think people forget that Fanwood is not simply a stop between Plainfield and Scotch Plains, that this is a community."

Since Flannery and Walter first previewed the pub at a Borough Council meeting in April, politicians, business owners and residents of both Fanwood and Scotch Plains have eagerly awaited its opening. "We want a more vibrant community with people downtown," Fanwood Mayor Colleen Mahr said at that  meeting. The pub will "put a fresher face on Fanwood."

That initial enthusiasm did not diminish. In fact, it apparently grew: When Flannery and Walter welcomed patrons to their pub on that final Friday evening in June, the line snaked out the door onto the sidewalk.

"Of the nine nights we've been open, that turned out to be one of our best," Flannery said.

Flannery and Walter have since relied on word-of-mouth to promote the pub. The official grand opening will not take place until September, they said. In the meantime, they are working-out the kinks – tweaking the menu, figuring-out the pub's computer system – and easing the operations up to full-speed.

But even without any official promotions, patrons have filled the bar. Most are walk-ins, ambling across the street from the Fanwood train station. Others drive or stroll past, see the tables out front, and decide to step inside.

"This activity, it means a lot," Dale Flowers, vice president of the Fanwood Business and Professional Association, said in a phone interview. "I don't think we're going to have a 'nightlife town,' but we've got something going on."

For now, the pub is open Wednesday through Sunday, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., and it serves only dinner. In the coming weeks, however, it will extend its hours and start serving lunch.

The menu consists of a regularly changing selection of traditional pub food, including prime beef hamburgers, hot wings marinated overnight, and Kobe beef hotdogs. Everything on the menu will be under $10, Walter said.

Walter, himself, has worked as chef de partie and executive sous chef at Le Cirque and Guastavino's in Manhattan, and other notable restaurants. But he said he found this new venture in Fanwood appealing, namely because the pub's smaller kitchen will allow him to have more control over and more fun with the menu.

"I'm just going to do what I want," he said. "Steak night, rib night. I can say, 'You know what, let's get a lot of pork ribs, throw them on the grill, and open the doors.'"

He said he hopes this sense of improvisation and community will set the pub apart from others in the community.

"The bartenders, they're going to know who you are," Walter said. "They're going to know your name, your kids' names, what you want to order." They also wear unique uniforms: kilts and Flannery's Pub t-shirts.

Both owners, however, also acknowledged the work that lies ahead. "Am I relieved? Is this euphoria? No, because it's always, 'How can I make it better?'" Walter said. "We're not opening the bar to party. We're here to servce a need and to fill a hole in the community. It's a no-brainer: a hometown bar."

The Sidecar: Flannery's Pub holds an unusual liquor license. A "Broad C" license, it allows the pub to sell packaged alcohol until 2 a.m. – far later than any liquor store in the area. "They just don't make liquor licenses like these anymore," Walter said. The pub can also cater events under the license.

Flannery's Pub is located at 200 South Avenue in Fanwood. Call 908-322-3700.