Mackinac Island is not just getting an
Irish pub but also celebrating the legacy of one of its oldest families. Andrew Doud, who named the pub after his great uncle, will host a grand opening of Patrick Doud's Irish Pub on Main Street at 4 p.m. Wednesday. Initially, the site will serve dinner with plans to expand into lunch soon. The pub holds just 80 people. It proudly has no blender but does serve more than 21 Irish whiskeys and Patrick Doud's Ale, created by Les Cheneaux Distillers in nearby Cedarville, Michigan. "The space is very small. If you’ve been to
Ireland, it's very Irish pub-ish with a tight feel and nice woodwork," Doud told the Detroit Free Press on Wednesday. "You'll love our oysters. The recipe is from O'Dowd's restaurant in Galway, Ireland, where we're from." And, yes, the name is spelled differently but it's owned by distant relatives. The O'Dowd family had its spelling changed when coming through the
immigration process on Ellis Island in
New York in 1854, he noted. "The idea for the pub was inspired by Patrick Doud, who actually built the building that houses the pub along with the governor's mansion and the Inn at Stonecliff," said Andrew Doud, 48, who co-owns the pub with business partner Dave Pantano, 50, at 7304 Main Street, next to Horn's Gaslight Bar and Restaurant. The site was formerly Huron Street Pub and Grill. Doud and Pantano,
Friends from Michigan State University, worked together at The Riv in East Lansing back in the day. Doud was assistant manager and Pantano was general manager. Both men live on Mackinac Island now. They bought the pub site in March 2022, took possession in November and have been working on the pub since then. Andrew Doud and his wife, Nicole, also own Doud's Market on the island, founded by his great-grandfather in 1884. Nicole Doud also owns Little Luxuries gift shop and the two run Sip 'n' Sail cruises. "Our vision was to just create an Irish pub that has a lot of character," Doud said. "Mackinac has wonderful restaurants. We wanted to be different. I think Irish food has a great history and is delicious." The pub has bar seating with classic leather bar stools, red booths and high top tables. Each seating area has art dedicated to buildings that Patrick Doud built. Patrick Doud's Irish Pub had a soft opening Tuesday with a trial run for the cook, bartenders and servers. Now the pub will open seven days a week, closing at 2 a.m. "This place screams Mackinac Island," said Tim Hygh, executive director of the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau. "It won't take long for Patrick Doud's to turn into an island classic." Family ties run deep on the island, which is located between Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas, surrounded by Lake Huron. Andrew Doud is a cousin of Margaret Doud , who runs the Windermere Hotel and has been mayor of Mackinac Island since 1975. She praised the new project. "I think it's great, depicting our Irish heritage," Mayor Doud told the Free Press. Looking back, she said of Patrick Doud, "He would live at the Windermere with us during the summer. He was a very fine gentleman, a world traveler and a great Bridge player." Mackinac Island, which bans cars and depends only on bicycles and horse and buggy cabs, is known as an international travel destination . Business saw revenue records in 2021 . More: Historic Mackinac Island hotel undergoing massive $28M property renovation More: Mackinac Island bars, restaurants, shipping have been transformed by
Women More: Shepler's Ferry on Mackinac Island sells to billionaire after 77 years Contact Phoebe Wall Howard : 313-618-1034 or phoward@freepress.com. Follow her on
Twitter @phoebesaid .