It was about 10:30 a.m. the Friday morning after Thanksgiving at the new Mary Wee Pub — about 30 minutes after it opened — and there were already a half dozen people sitting at the new pub’s long bar, enjoying an early pint or just enjoying friendship.
That’s how excited everyone is about the news that the Mary Wee is finally open at 2 West Main Street in the Village of Webster.
For the last few weeks, owner Mark Petzing (of the Shamrock Jack’s family) has been hosting “soft openings,” which basically meant that if the door was unlocked, you were welcome to wander in. So the word’s been spreading quickly that there’s a great new place in town to get a pint of Guinness.
But those soft openings end on Monday Dec. 2 when Petzing invites the community to the Mary Wee’s official grand opening.
This day has been a long time coming. Petzing has been working since the middle of the summer renovating, updating and beautifying the former Barry’s Old School Irish Pub. The “final touches” seemed to drag on forever over the last few months, as anxious community members peered through the windows every day to see how close it was to completion.
Petzing has put his own twist on the interior design of his new pub, which is obvious the moment you step in the door. Those who knew the old Barry’s would hardly recognize the place.
For starters, the wall separating the bar from the former bakery area has been removed, opening up enough space for a much longer bar, which now wraps from the restrooms to the west wall. The two restrooms have been completely renovated and updated, and now stand side-by-side, one whimsically decorated to look like an Irish telephone box. There’s a digital jukebox, and three TVs streaming sports all the time. And the ceiling has been raised, which together with the new French doors and windows gives the entire pub a much more open, airy feel. Even though Petzing was working with the same square footage, somehow he’s managed to make the new pub feel so much bigger than the old.
Probably the most exciting new feature is the indoor/outdoor seating along the big, north-facing front window. That window’s been replaced with a garage door, which on nice days can be raised to accommodate patrons sitting inside and outside across from each other.
True to its name, Petzing characterizes his pub’s offerings as a “wee bit of everything.” The menu won’t be huge, but substantial, featuring appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches and some Irish-inspired entrees. His nine taps include Guinness, Smithwicks, Harp, a few IPAs, Genny and Stella. A selection of bourbons, vodkas, gins and rums complement an expansive choice of Irish whiskeys. There will even be a wee bit of live music.
Petzing is very uncomfortable comparing his new pub to Barry’s Old School Irish, which closed in September of 2023. He knows as well as anyone the special place Barry’s held in the hearts of the local community, and still does. But there was no way he was going to avoid the obvious questions.
“People would say, ‘Is it going to be like Barry’s? Is it going to be like Shamrock Jacks?'” he said. “I say no, maybe a little of both, but it’s going to be the Wee. It’s going to be our place.”
“I loved Barry’s,” he added. “My wife and I always loved Barry’s. But it’s definitely different.”
Given the response he’s already seen, people have embraced the difference.
“The Webster community has been amazing,” Petzing said. “We’ve been welcomed with open arms; everybody’s been fantastic. The coolest thing for me right now is I’m meeting all sorts of people I never met before. … During this past week I’ve had a blast. It’s everything I wanted and more.”
Check out the new Mary Wee Pub for yourself during the grand opening, Monday Dec. 2 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Live music will be provided by Matthew Stephens from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.. Regular hours will continue to be 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day (and perhaps later on the weekends).
Here are some photos from the pub:
I’ve posted this story before, but if you’re wondering how the unusual name “Mary Wee” came about, here’s the story, straight from Mark Petzing himself:
My grandmother Mary, I loved her. My grandmother was older and she liked whiskeys and bourbons. They would water down her whiskeys, and put a little around the rim. She’d always smile, the sweet little thing, she’d say “Oh, thank you.” And when my mom and my aunts weren’t looking, she’d say, “Mark, give me a wee bit more.”
So people ask why is it not “Wee Mary’s?” Because I want you to think about it. And it means nothing at all, but it means a ton to me. Come in and have a whiskey and I’ll tell you the story and we’ll laugh.
Make sure to look for the photos of Mary hanging at the end of the bar.
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(posted 12/1/2024)
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