ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Dozens of Irish, pubs, bars, and restaurants in Rochester are prepping for St. Patrick’s Day tomorrow. But for McGinnity’s in Rochester, it’s a special one:
They are selling the business. Ahead of what could be their last St. Paddy’s, owner Bridie McGinnity says it’s business as usual, opening at 10 a.m. Friday for the festivities.
“A lot of corned beef, and all the other fixings that go along with it,” McGinnity said. “we’re ready to go… it may be the last, maybe not.”
McGinnity opened McGinnity’s in Rochester 48 years ago. The pub on the corner of Eastman Ave and Ridge Road, was and is a home to Kodak employees for lunch, Rochester regulars, and more.
“The people that you meet… the doctors and lawyers, politicians… wealthy people and poor people,” McGinnity said.
Bridie is 85 years young, and she’s not just the face of the business: she handles the backend finances too. But she says her love was working the back party room.
“Getting everything ready for it, if you have 50 people, you have to be ready for 50 people, you have to cater, clean up, and do the same thing the next day,” she said.
McGinnity says she knew it was time to sell starting in the fall and says so far the process is going well.
She still doesn’t have a firm timetable on the sale, and the place could still be an Irish pub, or something else entirely.
Her husband, Seamus, an Irish Immigrant, passed away in 2007. Bridie has four kids, seven grandkids, and six great-grandkids, with another on the way.
She says it’s time to retire, spend time with them, and:
“Oh, I’m going to be able to rest, sleep in the morning, and i’m going to read a lot of books,” she said.