Florence Goes Green: New venue brings a bit o’ Ireland to Pee Dee

By Nicholas Hilbourn
Arts and Entertainment Writer
Published: August 14, 2008

It was 9:15 p.m. Friday night,  and the Piggly Wiggly plaza on Second Loop Road hadn’t seen this much action since bologna was on sale for half price.

It was not the alluring effect of discount groceries that led to this phenomenon, but rather the opening of McDermott’s Irish Pub.

While most bars don’t see their crowds until two hours shy of midnight, McDermott’s was packed and still filling up at 8:30 p.m.

It could’ve been because it was a new bar, or maybe because the sounds of Philadelphia-based Irish trio Ceann singing drinking songs trickled out into the parking lot. Or maybe the green walls inside the bar just did something special for everybody.

The point is a lot of people were there, many of them returning for their nth visit, and they’d brought friends.

Co-owner Greg Tanner couldn’t be happier.

As new groups of people poured in every 10 minutes, Tanner stood by the door cupping a glass of Guinness and smiling. “I don’t care about making money tonight or not,” he said. “I just want new people.”

Good times, good music, good food

The idea of starting a bar had been stewing in Tanner and Derek Hardwick for the past 10 years, but the timing never seemed right, until this past January.

“I knew (Derek) wasn’t doing anything at the time,” said Tanner, “so I gave him a call and said, ‘Hey, let’s do it.’ We kind of bounced ideas around and came up with the Irish theme just because, normally, you just think of (the Irish as) good times, good music, good food.”

They recruited another partner, Charlye Vivas, and spent six months putting McDermott’s together. During that time, it generated a considerable amount of publicity via word of mouth — so much that the pub’s “soft” opening July 15 was slammed packed.

Tanner hired local musicians to play — most of them spur of the moment and not necessarily Irish, but it was enough to draw people in droves.

By the time Irish-American music trio Ceann took the stage Aug. 7, the pub had become a nightlife staple for some folks.

Tanner expressed surprise more than anything at the bar’s popularity.

“We did absolutely no advertising,” he said. And on McDermott’s opening day, “We were no where near ready. We still had construction type stuff on the floor ... (but) we had a really good night ... and we’ve been busy ever since. And technically, I guess we really haven’t had a grand opening.”

The perfect name

Naming the bar, Tanner said, was one of the most important parts of the process.

“When we came up with the Irish theme, I didn’t want to just call it something Irish because it was Irish,” he said. “I wanted to have some sort of meaning behind it.”
Tanner hit the Internet, scouting out Irish pubs, looking for the perfect name.

He found it in McDermott’s, a pub in Doolin, Clare County, Ireland, that had been opened since 1867 and in the McDermott family for generations.

“I called Ireland,” he said, “and spoke to Patsy McDermott, who’s the owner now. And told her we’d like to use her name, and she was like, ‘Sure, we’d be pleased.’”

Food and beer

Of course, you can paint the walls green and line them with cutesy Gaelic sayings and enough Irish kitsch to make even the most diehard Dubliner sick, but there’s only two things that make an Irish pub Irish: food and beer.

What does McDermott’s have to offer in that area?

Shepherd’s pie and Irish whiskey steak are the main Irish dishes right now. Tanner noted that corned beef and cabbage as well as fish and chips will be added soon enough.

Beer-wise, McDermott’s has Newcastle and Guinness on tap with Harp Lager and Smithwick’s on the way.

McDermott’s also has the classic bar fair of wings, Yuengling, vodka shots and so on. But going to McDermott’s without drinking a glass of Guinness or eating some shepherd’s pie is like going to China without seeing the Great Wall.
No nooks or crannies

Although some patrons commented that the bar’s location in a strip mall was aesthetically displeasing, they agreed the inside was quite inviting.
Tanner said that was one of the most important considerations in the design of the bar.

“We wanted it to be open,” he said. “I didn’t want nooks or crannies, and we wanted it to where if someone’s sitting at the bar anywhere in here, they’d have a clear (view) of the stage.”

McDermott’s has a bar table that runs the length of the pub on the left side and on the right side it’s table and stools. Although it could use more seating, Tanner explained that McDermott’s still is not finished.

“We would definitely love to get bigger,” he said. “We would like to make (McDermott’s) double this capacity.”

Customer feedback

Reviews from the patrons were positive for the most part. Most folks commented on the eclectic crowd, the music and the set-up of the restuarant, although many people felt there could be more Irish decor and maybe a larger food selection.

One patron compared McDermott’s to O’Malley’s in Charleston, although they added it was a loose comparison.

Another noted that McDermott’s was “the closest thing you’re going to get to an Irish bar in Florence.”

For Tanner, that’s just fine. Whether the pub was in a strip mall or a street corner, as long as people are enjoying themselves, he feels good.

“The Irish thing is a good thing,” he said, “and I think that’s what we have here.”