theESTABLISHMENT BEST-LOVED WATERING HOLES
Patty’s Pub By TERRY RYAN
A dash of Irish pride I love a good pub. A pub can be good
in many ways. Maybe it’s because of the people who go there: maybe it’s because of good company, or a good menu of food and drink, or because of the hands-on owner and staff who make you think you just heard a welcoming cry of “Norm!” when anyone walks in the door. There is no “class distinction” in a pub.
Everyone is welcome and it doesn’t matter if you are a high-ranking executive or a construction worker, hot and thirsty after a hard day. That’s the beauty of the Irish Pub –
the ambience and charm of it. And the inspiration, for Art Hodgins, with partner Peter Ananny, following a trip to Ireland, to open Ottawa’s first Irish pub. I’m aware that there is debate about
whether Patty’s or Molly’s was the first Irish Pub, but Art told me it was the first, so I’m going with it. Patty’s Pub is an authentic Irish pub located at 1186 Bank Street. Art and his partner got the keys to what
26 BOUNDER MAGAZINE
was formerly the Mayfair Tea Room plus one waitress who had been with the Mayfair for something like 40 years in 1974. Two weeks later they quietly opened. And nothing happened.
No, really – they couldn’t pay people to
come in. It was just that there was one small problem: they had no liquor license. During the long wait for the license, the
staff had to be let go (with the exception of the waitress who came with the business). Art took over kitchen duties and Peter amused himself by sitting at the very quiet cash register. Finally, the liquor license came in and,
upon hearing the news that she would be soon serving alcohol, the one-and-only waitress quit. The grand opening was held a few days
away from March 17, on March 13, 1975, and a grand St. Patty’s Day was had by all. It turned out to be the first of many good times at Patty’s Pub. Interesting quirk – The Hodgins family
has been buying and selling pubs for more than 35 years, and each and every one of them has opened on the 13th
of the month. A
wee touch of Irish superstition, perhaps? After devoting so much time to the pub
business, Art has decided to take more of a back seat in the operations of the various
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