New bar brings flavor of Caribbean to Weirs Beach

WEIRS BEACH — A piece of the Caribbean arrived in the Lakes Region last week to provide residents with a respite from the cold and a taste of paradise.

Keith and Monique O’Leary of Gilford opened Winni Rum Shack on Endicott Street North across from Funspot on Feb. 2.

“It went really well,” Keith said. “We had a lot of traffic.”

The Facebook page Keith runs for the restaurant gained over 400 followers after opening weekend. He considers that a key metric for success.

“It exceeded my expectations,” he said. “I was very, very happy.”

Keith sees Winni Rum Shack as another opportunity to contribute to the development of the Weirs and hopes to help create a destination renowned for its amenities. He’s already opened two other businesses nearby, the Witches Brew Pub and the Craft Beer Xchange just next door.

“We’re offering something unique,” he said. “A low-key Caribbean style, a chill place where people can come, relax and have a good time.”

The bar boasts a selection of rum cocktails and 12 sipping rums, all top-shelf he said. They’ve also got about 80 craft beers on tap.

Keith and Monique vacationed on Lake Winnipesaukee for 20 years, then moved to the area 10 years ago. The pair hail from Massachusetts — the north and south shores, respectively — and Keith spent his childhood summers with his family on the lake at the Half Moon Motel & Cottages.

“I used to say to myself back then, ‘One day I’m going to come up here and make it my home,'” he said.

And that’s exactly what they did.

“People love it.”

The Witches Brew Pub was successful, but the couple realized the area was missing something: a rum bar.

So the pair set about making preparations to open their own slice of paradise.

“There’s never been a rum bar up here, nothing like the Winni,” Keith said. “People who like a good rum drink are going to seek us out.”

Their signature drink, the Winni Painkiller, is made with Pusser’s Rum. That certifies it as a legitimate and original painkiller, according to a trademark, Keith said.

“We had a package store at Tiki Plaza in Laconia,” he said. “We wanted to open another pub to bring something unique to the area.”

They selected the location in Weirs Beach because there’s an entrepreneurial energy there and they want to participate in a burgeoning revitalization. He noted the ideal location off Route 3. The property also had room for a large digital messaging boarding in front which allows them to advertise their hours and daily meal specials.

“The feedback has just been phenomenal,” he said. “We have a nice footprint inside where people can be comfortable.”

A large deck can easily accommodate 60-70 people, he added.

They’re running the business with a staff of five, but that number will increase sharply this summer. He expects May through August to be among his busiest months. The business operates year-round, three days a week in the winter and daily through the summer and into the fall, he said.

“We want people to think, ‘Let’s take a break for the day, let’s go up to the Weirs,'” he said. “It’s a little bit more chill up here.”

In addition to a relaxed Caribbean atmosphere, Winni Rum Shack boasts a full menu complete with starters, sandwiches, shrimp dishes, cajun offerings and their signature Cuban sandwich, just to name a few.

“It’s just been a lot of work,” Keith said. “But we didn’t have any major hurdles to overcome — just a lot of heavy lifting.”

He and Monique did most of the work on the building themselves, he said.

“I would hope that Winni Rum Shack, 10 years from now, is a destination spot for food, drink and entertainment for people coming up there,” Keith said. “It’s a classic destination spot and it’s not the Weirs Beach of old anymore.”