Irish pub to join Franklin

The walls of 206 W. Franklin St. are currently bare save for a few T-shirts featuring Irish witticisms.

Soon the space will be filled with antique wall crests and a bar, transplanted directly from pubs in Dublin.

Dave Magrogan, creator of Kildare’s Pub, goes to Ireland and looks for bars going out of business or selling off items so he can create authentic pubs in the U.S.

The bar will officially open in November.

Magrogan said he began working in the restaurant business when he was 12 years old. He worked through college waiting tables and bartending.

He graduated with a pre-med degree and went on to get his chiropractor’s license. But while he studied medicine, Magrogan said the restaurant business was always at the back of his mind.

He sold his chiropractor’s practice six years ago to pursue the restaurant industry, opening the original Kildare’s in West Chester, Pa.

Magrogan said his Irish ancestry led him to visit the country and inspired him.

“I grew up in a large Irish family, Magrogan said. “My grandfather kept up Irish tradition and visited a pub every Sunday.”

Magrogan spent two years researching Irish pubs, hired Irish consultants, and took a course offered by Guinness to learn the subtleties of the Irish beer.

“People can tell the difference between an authentic Irish pub and a bar with a shamrock on the wall,” Magrogan said.

Kildare’s will serve popular Irish drinks like layered pints featuring Guinness, Harp and Bass.

“A properly poured pint of Guinness in a Guinness glass is a part of the Irish experience. We don’t use $2 beer,” said Magrogan.

The Kildare’s in Chapel Hill is the chain’s first expansion to the South. Kildare’s has four other locations in Pennsylvania and Delaware in addition to the original West Chester location.

Greg Stephenson, managing partner of the Chapel Hill Kildare’s, said the company eventually wants to operate at least six franchises in the state.

“The economy hasn’t taken a serious downturn in North Carolina,” Stephenson said. “We want to expand to areas like Raleigh and Greenville.”

Magrogan said the original West Chester location boasted customers such as MTV’s Jackass stars Bam Margera, Johnny Knoxville and Steve-O.

He said he was originally attracted to Chapel Hill because the college atmosphere was similar to the bar’s original West Chester location.

Senior Erin Osborne said she thinks any new bar will draw a crowd.

The theme isn’t really important,” said Osborne. “People are more interested in drink specials.”

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.