Beach bar to return to Patrick’s Pub & Eatery on March 29

GILFORD — The owner of Remodeling Remedies, Jonathan Booth gets summoned to Patrick’s Pub & Eatery for help with renovations and other projects. But when co-owner Allan Beetle called him last winter with an idea, Booth sensed an innovation in the works.

“Allan sounded as giddy and excited as a 10-year-old boy,” Booth remembered. “He asked me to meet him at Patrick’s. I couldn’t get out of my truck fast enough for him that morning.” 

The two men walked inside from the parking lot, and Beetle led Booth to the Emerald Room and flung open the doors. Turning to Booth, Beetle said, “Beach bar.”

“I told him he was crazy,” Booth recalled. “I said, ‘If you’re going to go through with this, you have to go all out. You have to bring in sand, the whole nine yards.’” 

Beetle dove into the vision, and, before long, a 20-foot boardwalk and a tiki bar were assembled in the Emerald Room. Tyson McKenna, owner of Gilford Gardens, hauled in 6,000 pounds of sand, and spread it over a tarp on the dining room floor.

Visitors to the beach bar last April may remember squishing toes or boots in the sand and drinking a fruity beverage. This month, the restaurant is bringing the bar back on Friday, March 29, with a grand opening party.

“People loved the beach bar,” Booth said. “They thought Allan was crazy at first, but a lot of people I know appreciated the fact that he’s willing to step outside the box. Lots of folks came down to Patrick’s just to check out what Allan was doing. It definitely got people’s attention.”

Faith Francis, a Patrick’s customer since it opened, was amazed by the scene the first time she walked into the Emerald Room and found a beach. She didn’t get away to a warm location last winter and considered the beach bar her tropical escape, just a mile and a half from her home.

“It’s a really cool endeavor for Allan and Jeff to bring a little Caribbean flair to the Lakes Region when there really isn’t anything similar without getting on a plane,” said Francis.

Beetle leaned on Booth to bring his plan to life. Booth created the boardwalk and tiki bar, building the latter upstairs on the patio in 25-degree weather, then dismantling it and reassembling it inside. He said Megan Page, Patrick’s general manager, helped with the process.

Booth has been a Patrick’s customer for more than 15 years, and said having the beach bar helped mix things up at the restaurant during a traditionally slow month. “We added lots of fun things to really create the atmosphere we wanted,” he said. “Floor-to-ceiling, full-color posters, sand, wind, beach smells, the sound of waves, and more all came together to put you in that kind of mood.”

In addition, Booth enjoyed the wall ring-toss game in the beach bar, another of Beetle’s ideas. Booth entered the game tournament at the end of April, splitting the $500 prize money with four other local residents who earned the top slots. 

For more information about Patrick's Pub & Eatery and the beach bar, call 603-293-0841, or visit www.patrickspub.com.