CityView Magazine - Fayetteville, NC
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1405640
CityViewNC.com | 31 explore Discover the peace of mind an AOS Cares membership provides during a crisis. BE READY Create a plan for the unexpected TODAY! e in Aging Well Experts 910.692.0683 | www.AOSNC.com 2020 when Gibney and partner Jessica Corona decided to voluntarily shut their doors four days before St. Patrick 's Day, the most lucrative day of the year for many bars, not to mention an Irish pub. "You know in your heart what's right," Gibney said. "People were dying." It was on St. Patrick 's Day that Gov. Roy Cooper officially closed bars and dine-in restaurants because of the pandemic. By then, Gibney had already pulled his staff members together, many of whom would be facing financial duress without a paycheck. "I put my bank account on the table," he said. "I told them, this is what we've got." e result is that Paddy's reopened this summer with a loyal crew and a slew of improvements thanks to a team effort. e 15 months the bar was closed allowed for completely revamped indoor and outdoor seating areas, new flooring that replaced carpet, an overhaul in décor and the addition of a new slate of entertainment in the nightclub side of the venue known as e Church. Besides the pub's traditional live music, Paddy's now features Friday night cash trivia and nationally acclaimed comedians appearing ursday nights on an intimate stage punctuated by a velvety red curtain. "We wanted the feel to be different, and also I wanted people my own age to come in," said Gibney, who's 52. "Everyone is welcome here. It doesn't matter what color you are, what your religion is or what your sexuality is. "e flags on the wall represent all the different people who have come in here," he said. "It's a testament to the kind of people who live in Fayetteville. We're trying to bring something to the town that it's never had before." Also new is a bar menu that features the original concoctions of local mixologist Rob Clayton, a longtime friend of Gibney's, as well as a food truck that is now permanently parked just outside the entrance. at's where Costello whips up his original take on pub fare into the wee hours of the morning. Waiters and waitresses run orders back and forth to patrons, but walk-up customers with the munchies are welcome for to-go orders right up till 2:30 a.m. "I wanted to have a restaurant like I wanted to have a hole in the head," Gibney said. "Everyone I've ever known that's gotten