Kent may be several thousand miles from the green hills of Ireland, but starting next month, the Emerald Isle will seem a lot closer.
That’s because a family-themed Irish restaurant will be opening its doors at Kent’s Riverbend Golf Complex.
Mick Kelly’s Irish Pub is taking over the digs vacated earlier this year by the Fire Creek Grill. Owned by Irishmen and cousins Mick Purdy and Adrian Kelly, the restaurant, which will be the third eatery of Mick Kelly, Inc., was selected as the top business to lease the space at the city-owned golf course.
‘They had a very good presentation, and they have a great establishment in Burien,” said Pete Petersen, Riverbend’s superintendent of golf operations, referring to the primary site of the business. “They also do the food and catering at Glenacres” (a golf course and country club in the Seattle area.)
The other selling point, Petersen noted, was the owners’ desire to get involved in the Kent community.
“Mick and Adrian are great guys,” Petersen said. “They’ve been business (leader) of the year in Burien, and have been running charitable functions.”
The Reporter was unable to reach the two prior to deadline.
Expect to see the restaurant opening roughly with the start of summer.
“We’re looking at the latter part of June,” Petersen said, adding they’ll be doing some catering earlier in the month.
The owners have signed a five-year lease with the city, which starts June 1. Under the lease, they’ll make monthly payments of 5 percent of their gross revenue, or $3,500, whichever is greater. For its concessions and catering operations, the business would pay 10 percent of the proceeds from those operations.
Mick Kelly’s has successful restaurants in Burien and Renton.
Petersen said the restaurant was the top contender from seven that a city-formed committee evaluated for the golf course.
He expressed confidence the restaurant would be able to hold its own, through the busy times of summer to the quieter times in winter. “We need someone to be supporting in those winter months, but can market to the golfers,” Petersen said.
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