As the new year ushered in, Barrington bid farewell to a town staple that was not only a local watering hole but a popular gathering spot for happy hour and community meetings.
McGonigal’s Pub, in the heart of downtown Barrington, was packed New Year’s weekend, with patrons visiting for the last meal, pours and rock-outs to live bands the restaurant and bar would have before its doors would close for good.
Word of the establishment’s closing had come weeks before when owner Bryan McGonigal took to social media Dec. 4, “with an extremely heavy heart to report that McGonigal’s Pub will be closing for business at the end of this month.”
In an interview with Pioneer Press after that announcement but ahead of the closing weekend blowout, McGonigal said the decision to shutter his Irish pub was a tough but necessary move, with the village not allowing video gaming a prime contributing factor leading to the final last call for his business.
“That video gaming hasn’t happened here played a major role,” McGonigal said.
McGonigal said he was part of an effort about 10 years ago encouraging the Village Board to allow video gambling at establishments, to no avail. At the time he planned on turning part of his operation, dubbed The Annex, into a cocktail lounge/gaming area for the 21-and-older crowd.
“It wouldn’t have made me rich, but it would have helped pay taxes and cover more of my overhead,” McGonigal said.
Barrington still currently not allowing video gaming will make it tough moving forward for the village as it tries to grow its downtown bar and restaurant scene, he said.
Along with not having video gaming, McGonigal said his level of business never returned to what it was prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“People at other places have told me people aren’t coming out like they used to,” McGonigal said.
The financial hit was substantial. Even though government records show that the pub secured a total of about $362,000 in federal pandemic-era Paycheck Protection Program loans in 2020 and 2021 – which have since been forgiven — the financial blows continued.
McGonigal said costs of doing business continued to rise.
“And my property taxes pretty much doubled over the last five years,” he said.
McGonigal said he and his father, Dennis, with whom he owns the building at 105 S. Cook St., have been looking at options for a few years. They have had the spot for sale since July 2020, were hoping to find investors and would have kept their place open for a time, but had no luck.
After announcing the closing, McGonigal said he got some inquiries about the property.
McGonigal’s opened March 9, 2010, eight days before St. Patrick’s Day in what originally was the First Bank of Barrington. The bank was chartered in 1916 and closed in 1932, failing during the Great Depression.
McGonigal said he took several trips to Ireland for ideas and items, including furniture, to put together his pub. He worked with builder Maurice McNally on the concept and project. McNally owns McNally’s Pub in St. Charles.
McGonigal said McNally helped him with details of closing.
McGonigal’s operation also connected the old bank to an adjacent building, which opened as a wine bar. Over the years that space also housed pizza and barbecue places before eventually becoming a banquet room.
Over almost 14 years, the pub has held its share of gatherings of all sorts. McGonigal said those have included political benefits for people from both sides of the aisle as well as parties, fundraisers and informal get-togethers for various community groups, nonprofit organizations, school boards and government bodies from Barrington and other nearby towns.
Along with bringing a post-recession spark to the downtown, McGonigal’s was also known for its Celtic Fest leading up to St. Patrick’s Day, with tents set up for the occasion.
“And I’ve been blessed with a great staff, some who have been here since the early days,” McGonigal said.
In fact, part of why he announced the closing early was to give his staff of about 40 workers time to look for new jobs. Ending on Dec. 31 also closes the books right at year’s end, McGonigal said.
As a farewell, McGonigal planned an “End of an Era” celebration from Dec. 29 through New Year’s Eve, closing for good just before 2024 started.
“I hope everybody eats and drinks up, so we run out of everything,” McGonigal said before the nightly events took place.
As for his own plans past the pub, McGonigal said he’s exploring options and doesn’t intend to sell the name of his business.
“I’m too poor to retire. We’ll just be less poor once we close, then sell the building,” he said.
Still, McGonigal said he has enjoyed his time as a publican in Barrington.
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Village leaders, the Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce and other organizations have been supportive, and he has been a big booster of the town and its groups, he said.
Reacting to the closing of McGonigal’s Pub, officials from the Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce and the village wished McGonigal well and remained optimistic about the downtown area.
“The closing will be felt by many who meet and gather there, but we will bounce back. Barrington has so much to offer,” said chamber president and CEO Suzanne Corr.
Village spokeswoman Kate Himes said that over its tenure, the pub became a well-loved establishment in downtown Barrington, contributing to the local charm of the community.
“We will miss the familiar faces, the camaraderie and the special events that made McGonigal’s a cornerstone of Barrington,” Himes said.
Those include McGonigal being the face of the Celtic Fest and Irish celebrations and being a leading sponsor and supporter of many downtown events, both Corr and Himes acknowledged.
“Bryan’s generosity was boundless,” Corr said.
Corr said with the remnants of COVID-19-related closures, rising inflation and food costs, and the often-great challenge of finding good staff, it’s been a particularly hard go for the restaurant industry.
“Owners have to sink their heart, soul and uncountable hours into a successful operation,” Corr said.
The civic leader said the loss of an iconic anchor like McGonigal’s Irish Pub will be a great loss to downtown Barrington.
“But downtown Barrington has a fabulous restaurant row and is a go-to destination for fine, relaxed and neighborhood dining,” Corr said, adding that the pub’s location, bordered by the downtown and the Metra train line and depot not far away, presents a dynamic opportunity for the next visionary.
“It checks all the right boxes – location, location, location. And the chamber encourages the next dreamer to launch their dream there,” Corr said.
Past the pub’s closing, Himes said village leaders envision the spot continuing to contribute positively to the character of downtown Barrington.
“Our hope is that a future operator will share the same commitment to community and excellence that McGonigal’s embodied,” Himes said. “We thank Bryan McGonigal, his family, and the entire staff of McGonigal’s Pub for the joy they brought to the Barrington community.”
While wishing the village well, Bryan McGonigal said Barrington’s downtown still has a ways to go to compete with other stops along the same Metra commuter railroad line.
“We need more critical mass,” McGonigal said.
As for what he will miss most about his pub, McGonigal said, “I’m going to miss all the people I’ve met and hearing all the stories they’ve had to tell.”
Mike Danahey is a freelancer.