Todd Hanson and Sarah Nielsen. Photos: Chris Emeott
Say “Sláinte!” to this longstanding neighborhood gathering spot.
When Todd and Beth Hanson decided to open an Irish pub in Woodbury, they envisioned a neighborhood joint where strangers would become regulars, who would then become friends—and that’s exactly what O’Malley’s Pub has evolved into since it first opened its doors on St. Patrick’s Day 2005. This year, O’Malley’s turns 20, a milestone to be celebrated in the notoriously challenging restaurant business.
The Hansons had been residents of Woodbury for quite some time when they first started floating the idea of O’Malley’s around. “I grew up in Milwaukee, which is just full of local Irish and German bars, and I had the weird idea to recreate a little bit of that here,” Todd says. “We love the community, and it seemed like some local flair was just what Woodbury needed.”
They settled on an Irish pub concept and found the name for their establishment in Beth’s family tree. “We went to Beth’s grandfather and got his permission to use his name,” Todd says, adding that Tim O’Malley was a “proud grandfather for a few years” after O’Malley’s opened. His spirit endures at the pub and on its website, which states, “Papa was the most caring and fun man around. He is now in the big Irish pub in the sky, drinking a Guinness with his sweetie, Virginia ‘Nana’ and spreading cheer to those of us still below!”
From the Ground Up
Todd says neither he nor Beth had a restaurant background when they started this venture, instead, it was just a vision of what they wanted to see in Woodbury. “We knew we wanted to be central for good visibility,” Todd says. They found its home nestled between Radio Drive and City Center Drive and got to work.
At the time, Woodbury wasn’t allowing stand-alone bars, Todd says, so they had to offer food. “Fifty percent of revenue had to come from food,” he says. Luckily, their first sales rep was from Ireland and knew just what the menu should feature. “He helped us a ton,” Todd says.
With the menu set, it was time to build out the interior of the space. “We did most of the construction,” Todd says. “I was the general contractor, but friends and family, they all helped.” As a result, O’Malley’s is full of personal touches. “We built the bar by hand,” he says. “We built the booths by hand.”
They set their sights on opening on St. Patrick’s Day 2005, but as that date approached, Todd remembers the anxiety that accompanied it. “It was nerve-wracking,” he says. “We were putting varnish on the bar that week and hoping it would be dry by the time we opened.”
“We knew it would be really bad if we opened an Irish pub the day after St. Patrick’s Day,” Todd says. “Thankfully, the inspector was good to us and gave us the go-ahead to open our doors. We had a full house that first day.”
An Evolution
Sarah Nielsen started working at O’Malley’s a few weeks after it opened. “I went in with a friend for lunch,” she says. “I thought, ‘This place is adorable.’”
At the time, Nielsen was already working at a bar/restaurant in Cottage Grove, but when the O’Malley’s manager asked her if she was interested in joining the team, Nielsen came aboard. In no time, O’Malley’s became a second home. For the last 15-plus years, she’s served as the pub’s manager. “We joke that I’ve been there longer than Todd if we’re counting hours,” she says.
Nielsen says O’Malley’s has evolved quite a bit over the last two decades. “They were working on what it is now when I first started,” she says. “The people wanted it to be a bar-bar, and it morphed into what the people wanted. For the last 12 years, it’s truly been a neighborhood pub.”
The iconic photo wall inside of O’Malley’s include pictures of the community and patrons from over the years.
“It’s changed a lot,” Todd says. O’Malley’s has a wide-ranging bar, including the much-coveted Guinness on tap, but its particularly proud of the local beer selection, like Finnegans, Summit, Premium and Fulton. Thanks to a close relationship with Fulton, O’Malley’s was lucky enough to land its own specialty brew last year. “O’Malley’s Irish Ale,” Todd says. “I think we went through 10 kegs last March.”
Celebrating with Friends
Todd says they’d love to do another custom brew to celebrate this month’s big anniversary. “We love to celebrate with our friends,” he says.
So, what’s on tap for their 20th? “There will be a party,” Nielsen says, noting that St. Patrick’s Day festivities at O’Malley’s generally include a tent party and a band. “The plan is to do bigger than we usually do. Maybe a throwback style to when we first opened.”
The Fish and Chips include hand-battered cod in blonde beer batter, and is served with chips—aka French fries—tartar sauce and coleslaw.
In addition to brews, people can expect plenty of food, too. “We’re known for our Fish and Chips,” Todd says. “Chemical-free cod, homemade beer batter. It’s our Friday night special.”
O’Malley’s Papa Delights is another fan favorite. “We say it’s like if an egg roll and a Reuben had a baby,” Nielsen says. “Also, there’s our Pub Pickle Wraps. We call it deep-fried Minnesota sushi.”
Other menu highlights include the homemade soups, Reuben and Philly sandwiches, and the burgers. “We’re known for our burgers,” Todd says. “Lots of toppings. Everything is pretty much made to order.”
A Close-Knit Community
Quality food and drink is just one part of the longevity equation for O’Malley’s. “It starts with having good quality food,” Todd says. “But I also have a good core staff that’s been with me forever.”
“Workers have become friends, have become family,” Nielsen says. “We’ve celebrated weddings, children, birthdays. This place keeps us close-knit.”
And the staff endeavors to translate that feeling to customers. “We want you to feel welcome and comfortable,” Nielsen says. “Very rarely do you find a place you can connect with and have an experience, not feel rushed.”
“We want to give you that personal touch,” Todd says. “We want to get to know our customers.” Nielsen adds, “We want them to become our regulars.”
After 20 years, O’Malley’s has plenty of regulars and hopes to keep on drawing them in. “We renewed our lease for the next five years,” Todd says.
“I’m just thankful we’re able to provide a service people wanted,” he says. “We’re not perfect by any means, but we thank you for the business.”
Todd Hanson cuts a ribbon to celebrate the reopening of O’Malley’s Irish Pub in 2016. It had closed for remodeling, and reopened with the support of the Woodbury Area Chamber of Commerce. Photo: Sarah Nielsen
O’Malley’s Pub
1775 Radio Drive; 651.578.7007
Facebook: O’Malley’s Irish Pub
