It’s poetic: The legendary Peel Pub is set to rise again … on St. Paddy’s Day.

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The Peel Pub, founded in 1962 and believed by many to be the oldest pub in town, closed because of bankruptcy eight months ago. But two of the city’s most seasoned and savvy publicans, Tony Fewkes and Paul Quinn, weren’t having any of this and decided to step in to preserve what they feel to be a “true Montreal institution.”

Fewkes is a former owner of McLean’s Pub, just a short stumble up the street from the Peel Pub. Quinn is a former owner of the Irish Embassy, where, indeed, Irish ambassadors and consular officials — among many locals — did gather for a few pints before fire gutted the Bishop St. resto-pub eight years ago. Fewkes had been involved with several pubs since selling McLean’s in 2007, while Quinn has kept his pouring hand in the biz with MaBrasserie in Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, which he co-owns with Francesco Fanelli, who is now the Peel Pub’s third co-owner.

When patrons turned up in late June last year, they were shocked to discover the Peel Pub had been shuttered. The pub had been a mecca for sports, brew and cheap-eats fans, a tradition that had been passed down through families for 63 years.

There is hardly a dearth of pubs in the downtown area, certainly not between bar-swamped Bishop and Peel Sts. So inquiring minds might come to the conclusion that if the previous Peel Pub owner had fiscal issues with the place, it might have been more prudent to pass on reopening it.

Fewkes has a simple explanation for getting back in the pub game.

“Two things: One is Paul Quinn and the other is the Peel Pub — the name, the legend, the tradition, the brand,” says Fewkes, who learned the brew ropes in his native London. “And we’re pub people. It’s in our blood.

“These may not be the easiest times in the world to run a place like this, but you have to realize this is the best downtown location there is, with the Bell Centre with all the hockey and concerts, the Grand Prix, the jazz and comedy festivals. This is the centre of our tourism trade.”

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“That, too, will pass. This is a destination. People will come,” pronounces the ever-philosophical Quinn, who honed his pub skills in his native Dublin. “There’s also a métro stop seconds away, which is highly recommended for tipplers.”

Adds Fewkes: “This is not something we’ve gone into lightly. Nor is this going to be your grandfather’s Peel Pub. This is Peel Pub 2026.”

Both Fewkes and Quinn remain optimistic about the future.

“All of downtown got the wind knocked out of it during COVID, and, unfortunately, some people were not able to bounce back,” Quinn says. “Because of that, there was a big exodus and a lot of businesses left.

“The pub’s previous owner had been here over 25 years and had some health issues. It proved to be too much for him. He’s gone back to his native Algeria. This is a very big ship to run. It’s a big responsibility. But we’re very confident. We’ve pooled talent from all of our connections. Business is like sports: We’ve got a few good goalies, strikers and midfielders here ready for action. It’s a team game, and you need great players.”

With St. Patrick’s Day less than two weeks away, work crews have been putting in long hours prepping for the opening. The place will have a more updated look after a broad overhaul, which will feature an enhanced kitchen and an impressive keg room with 24 draft-beer lines — which apart from the standards like Guinness et al. will include six Québécois craft beers.

Fortunately, the pub had been left in fairly serviceable shape. It will be able to accommodate almost 265 patrons on its three floors when fully operational, and 300 come spring and summer, when the terrasses come into play.

There has been no shortage of applicants in search of serving, bartending and cooking jobs.

Fewkes is sure crowds will again converge here, initially out of curiosity to see the changes made and long term because of these changes.

“This is a void that people have missed,” Fewkes says. “I have no doubt that we will be very competitive with all the other pubs downtown. TVs galore showcasing all sports, hockey playoffs and the coming World Cup. Our food offerings will also be a cut above what it used to be here.”

Which is to say, not the dubious 10-cent chicken wings and soggy spaghetti of yore. Rather, pub grub like burgers and pizza and house sausages and soon — yum — the time-honoured British ploughman’s lunch, consisting of cheddar, chutney, ham and hard-boiled eggs served with crusty homemade bread.

“We’re up for the challenge,” Quinn says. “Essentially, the Peel Pub is nearly 65 years of incredible memories. You’ve got the student equally at home here along with the judge or lawyer or doctor who were students here decades ago coming back to revive memories. That’s what makes this place totally unique and different from anywhere else in the city.

“And we guarantee the best draft pour in Montreal!”

Fightin’ quaffin’ words!

The Peel Pub is located at 1196 Peel St.

bbrownstein@postmedia.com

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