A new Irish pub has arrived in Kent just in time to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The Celtic Club, 623 Central Ave. S., opened Feb. 26, and will have a three-day grand opening celebration beginning with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, March 17. Festivities will include entertainment and giveaways.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Tim and Tammy O’Connor, of Covington, are first-time bar and restaurant owners who grew up in the area.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Tim O’Connor’s background is in construction, and he remodeled the pub himself.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
“I just like the atmosphere in a bar and restaurant,” O’Connor said of his decision to open a pub. “I wanted to host people and talk with people.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Getting the pub ready for business was a year-long process. O’Connor got the keys to the building on March 1, 2015.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
“We had a couple bumps in the road but nothing that we couldn’t overcome,” he said. “It just made the process last a little longer.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The location of the property and its history caught O’Connor’s interest.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
“There are a lot of cars, a lot of traffic,” he said. “It has been known as a bar for year and years. I think people from Kent think of this place as a bar automatically.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Most recently the pub was Bad Monkey Bar and Grill.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
O’Connor drew the theme for his pub from his roots.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
“I am Irish \u2013 almost 100 percent. I can’t hide it,” the red-haired O’Connor said. “I’m just trying to be proud of where I came from and show it in this place.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The pub features a limited menu, which includes Irish favorites like shepherd’s pie and corn beef and cabbage, as well as a Reuben burger made with corn beef and sauerkraut.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
“We tried to keep it simple and have some traditional Irish food on there,” O’Connor said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
O’Connor said he hopes his pub will fill a void in the area.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
“Right now we are the only (pub) between Seattle and Tacoma\/Puyallup,” he said. “All the other ones in the area have closed down.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The pub, which serves adults 21 and older, is open daily from 11 a.m.- 2 a.m.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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