New Owners Want To Offer Taste of 'Irish Hospitality' at Island Pub
By Bernie Nguyen

New owner Chris Szabo behind the bar at Patrick Sinclair's Irish Pub.

Patrick Sinclair's Irish Pub, a unique fixture of Main Street's restaurant options, has changed hands. Chris Szabo, once a partner in the business, now owns it with his wife, Cathy, and his parents, Pete and Marilyn Szabo. Mr. Szabo previously was a partner with Mark and Tom Sposito of St. Ignace and bought them out this winter.

Owning a restaurant was something she had always hoped to do, said Mrs. Szabo, and the opportunity was one that she and her husband couldn't pass up.

"We're going to try always to make improvements," she said, emphasizing that the restaurant will begin to focus more on providing a lively, publike atmosphere coupled with good food.

"We're going to provide a taste of Irish hospitality with a local flair," Mr. Szabo agreed.

As for changes, Mr. Szabo said that he has plans to spice up the restaurant's appeal with live Irish entertainment on weekends and special nights for karaoke, local disc jockeys, and 1970s music, which will keep the establishment bustling with live entertainment five nights a week.

"It'll be a little taste of Irish," he said, "and not just with the food. We're offering it via our waitstaff through their service, their singing, their hospitality."

"We plan on opening for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late night, which we haven't done in the past," he added. "We also plan on staying open year-around."

By keeping the pub open for the entire year, Mr. Szabo stressed his desire to make Patrick Sinclair's Irish Pub a permanent part of the Mackinac Island community.

"We'd like to be part of the Island year-around," he said. "We'd like to help out with the community, during the winter as well as during tourist season."

Mr. Szabo added that by blending the restaurant's Irish appeal with local hospitality, he hopes to keep it in business for both residents and tourists.

Patrick Sinclair's Irish Pub includes a stocked bar and serves casual dining, with a menu that ranges from sandwiches and salads to more traditional Irish fare like corned beef and cabbage. Of the kitchen staff, Chef Rodney Myers and sous-chef Craig Gordon, Mr. Szabo said, "They'll bring some consistency and expertise," adding that since both are also year-around Island residents, they will keep the restaurant's kitchen running smoothly.

"I've worked here on the Island before," Mr. Szabo said, "but this is more permanent. We have a house here, we have two kids. We want to have something substantial to hang onto here."

Patrick Sinclair's Irish Pub is open from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. every day of the week.