Prominent Potential Buyers Line Up for McGlinchey’s
"We wouldn't dream of changing a thing," says one.
Left: Fergus Carey a.k.a. Fergie, the owner of Fergie’s Pub, who says he is interested in buying McGlinchey’s. (Photograph by Victor Fiorillo) | Right: Philadelphia dive bar McGlinchey’s ((Photograph by Michael Cramer via Flickr/Creative Commons)
Okay, to be frank, we are not entirely sure what the hell is going on at this point with McGlinchey’s, the legendary and legendarily smoky dive bar in Philadelphia. On Sunday, we reported that the bar was closing imminently, based on accounts from McGlinchey’s bartenders and after the owner didn’t respond to our request for comment. He still hasn’t.
Then, the Philadelphia Business Journal came out with a story that refuted our article, quoting the owner. Then the Inquirer published an article in which the owner told a slightly different story. He told the Business Journal that he was selling the bar and not closing, and then he told the Inquirer that it might close for good this month, depending on how the search goes for a buyer.
In other words, it’s a veritable land of confusion over a dingy bar.
Well, what we can tell you is that the bar is for sale. And we can also tell you that there are some major players who have emerged as potential buyers.
Fergus Carey, a.k.a. Fergie, started his bartending career in Philadelphia many, many years ago, his first real bartending job being at McGlinchey’s. Many on social media have suggested that he should buy it, and on Wednesday, he confirmed to us that he is most definitely interested.
Developer John Longacre, who owns American Sardine Bar and South Philadelphia Tap Room, among other spots, also confirms with us that he is interested. He adds that he’s been discussing the matter with Fergie.
We spoke with a couple of other prominent Philadelphia bar owners who said they are interested as well, but they declined to be named for this article.
And it’s not just Philadelphia bar owners who want to throw their hat into the ring. On Wednesday, a representative of iconic Tony’s Baltimore Grill in Atlantic City told us that the folks behind that Jersey Shore institution are very much interested in buying the bar.
None of the individuals we spoke with said they had any intention of making any major alterations to McGlinchey’s, and the idea seems to be very much to let McGlinchey’s be McGlinchey’s. “We wouldn’t dream of changing a thing,” the person from Tony’s Baltimore Grill told us.
One thing that any of these buyers may have to change is the status of McGlinchey’s as a smoking bar. The smoking ban that went into effect in Philadelphia in 2007 allowed for some smoking bars to apply for permits to remain smoking bars. McGlinchey’s did so and has kept that permit current, and it is the only bar in Center City, save for private clubs, that can legally allow smoking. But that ban also maintains that the permit is not transferable to a new owner, and the city also isn’t issuing new smoking permits to Philadelphia bars.
So smoke ’em if you got ’em. Or, better yet, don’t.
