logo
Rob McElhenney's Mac's Tavern announces it is set to close

Rob McElhenney's Mac's Tavern announces it is set to close

Leader Live4 days ago

Mac's Tavern, based in Philadelphia, has confirmed via social media that it will soon be closing its doors for good.
Since Rob McElhenney - who jointly-owns the venue - became Wrexham AFC co-chairman, it had been known to regularly show Reds matches when they were on.
It was a place where Philadelphia Reds - and those who travelled from overseas - could gather to share their love of all things Wrexham.
Rob and his wife and fellow It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Kaitlin Olson bought what was previously known as the Skinner's Bar and renamed it Mac's Tavern in homage to his character in that show.
The bar itself features in many episodes of the long-running series and also in the Welcome to Wrexham documentary, where Rob and others gathered to watch a Wrexham match live from the venue.
But, now it looks like the bar is set to close much to the sadness of many who have visited it down the years.
Posting on Facebook this week, the Mac's Tavern team wrote; "To all those who have loved, enjoyed and frequented this establishment for over 15 years, we thank you.
"When we opened this bar, our hope was to create a welcoming, down-to-Earth place where people could gather, share stories, laugh a little too loudly and enjoy a drink or two among friends.
TOP STORIES TODAY
They added; "What we got in return was so much more; a vibrant, loyal, and loving community that made Mac's Tavern feel like home - not just to us and the staff, but to everyone who walked through the doors.
"From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your support over the years. We're proud of what we built, but even more proud of what you made it into.
"Though Mac's Tavern may be closing, our gratitude to you will remain open - and overflowing - forever."
Rob McElhenney is a joint-owner of Mac's Tavern. (Image: PA) Rob has not yet commented openly on the closure, but the announcement was met by many a gutted customer underneath the tavern's post.
Declan Swans guitarist Mark Jones said: "A great bar, sorry to hear you're closing."
Rob Williamson said: "So sorry to hear this. Mac's has been a great host venue for our darts team for many years now."
John Joseph wrote; "Sad to see you guys go it was always a great atmosphere and amazing food - best of luck on the next venture / chapter."
Bridget Delaney said: "Thanks for the memories! Watching the Super Bowl Championship Parade Ceremony back in February was an awesome experience I'll have with me forever."
Bob McKee added: "End of an era for sure. Incredible run. Fun place that matched your goals. Glad I got to visit whenever I was back in Philly."

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Wrexham owner and Hollywood star files documents to officially change his name
Wrexham owner and Hollywood star files documents to officially change his name

Daily Mirror

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mirror

Wrexham owner and Hollywood star files documents to officially change his name

Wrexham FC co-owner Rob McElhenney's wife and his It's Sunny in Philadelphia co-star Kaitlin Olson claimed the couple's kids are not in favour of the name change Wrexham FC co-owner Rob McElhenney has filed documents to legally change his name. The It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia star, whose character in the show is known as Mac, wants to be known .by the name Rob Mac in real-life, according to documents filed in Los Angeles. The shortened versions of his first and last names are a far cry from his full title of Robert McElhenney III. ‌ He first mentioned his intention to change his name in an interview with US outlet Variety in May, telling them: 'As our business and our storytelling is expanding into other regions of the world and other languages in which my name is even harder to pronounce, I'm just going by Rob Mac. ‌ McElhenney's wife and It's Sunny in Philadelphia co-star Kaitlin Olson has said the couple's kids are not in favour of the change and suggested she is also concerned about it. She said: 'The kids are really not happy about it because they have that last name. And so do I, legally!'. He launched private company 'More Better Industries' in 2024, and was part owner of Philadelphia bar 'Mac's Tavern,' which announced Monday it was closing after 15 years in business. McElhenney, 48, and fellow Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds, 48, bought Wrexham football club in 2021. They have since been credited with a 50 per cent surge in visitors to the Welsh city after charting the club's rise to the Championship on Disney+ series Welcome to Wrexham. The show is a big hit in the US, where last month alone more than 300,000 people searched for Wrexham content on internet site Reddit. Tourism chiefs say it is part of the set-jet trend inspired by what people see on TV.

Popular restaurant in North Wales village expands with new Airbnb
Popular restaurant in North Wales village expands with new Airbnb

Wales Online

time7 hours ago

  • Wales Online

Popular restaurant in North Wales village expands with new Airbnb

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A couple who defied the odds and survived after opening their restaurant not long before Covid struck are expanding with an Airbnb rental. Talented chef Rob Dowell-Brown and his wife, Vicky, who run the Nant y Felin, in Llanrhaeadr YC, between Ruthin and Denbigh, were not eligible for financial support from the Government when the world went into lockdown. But the resourceful duo used the difficulty and weathered the storm by turning their hand to providing greatly appreciated take away meals for the community. Now Vicky has also taken on a two-bedroom apartment, Min y Maes, behind the property, effectively turning Nant y Felin into a restaurant with rooms. Rob, born in Elgin in North East Scotland, has a distinguished CV after working in AA Rosette restaurants in the West Country where he was brought up, the Home Counties, Scotland, the Scilly Isles. More locally, he has also tantalised taste buds at the Kinmel Manor in Abergele and the White Horse, Hendrerewydd, in the Vale of Clwyd. He has cooked for celebrities like John Cleese, Nigel Mansell, Frankie Howerd, Alan Titchmarsh and Maureen Lipman and as a trainee YTS chef was featured on GMTV's breakfast show in the 1990s. He said: 'John Cleese is from Weston Super Mare and Frankie Howerd also lived in Somerset when I was working there – Cleese would often do odd things like wear one sock. I had wanted to be a music teacher but didn't get the grades and when I left school at 16 I started to train as a chef on the Youth Training Scheme (YTS) getting £29.50 a week – my mum took £15. It was a harsh environment but it made me realistic about work – 29 of us started the YTS course and I was one of just three who finished it.' He met Vicky, from Ruthin, while working at the White Horse when she went along with her dad Bryn Dowell, there for an open mic folk music night and the couple – who both play guitar - now have a seven-year-old son, Billy. Things were particularly tough for them when the pandemic happened just over a year after they took over the Nant y Felin in 2018 and before they had the chance to build up the financial records needed to claim Government help. (Image: Mandy Jones) Rob said: 'We didn't really have any option other than to try and make a go of it by offering pizzas made in our proper pizza oven – the garden was overgrown and included three 40-foot leylandii spruce which provided fuel for the oven. We made sure all of our takeaway meals were served hot and to restaurant standard - allowing customers to enjoy a real treat at home when the UK was in lockdown" 'They proved very popular and on Father's Day we served 116 meals and at weekends it would be 70 a night and even in the week we were doing 30 or 40 a day and it's something we have continued ever since. 'We are always keen to try new ideas. We run our own open mic music nights on the third Wednesday of every month and I have been a forager for 20 years, finding edible plants and fungi and have done foraging walks. 'I did one in Denbigh for chef Chris Roberts, the Flamebaster chef on S4C and BBC Wales, and managed to find seven or eight ingredients to go with his open-fire cooking.' Nant y Felin fan Mario Kreft, from Denbigh, and his wife Gill, have a regular order for a takeaway Sunday lunch. He said: 'We discovered Rob's cooking during Covid when we were so busy but couldn't go anywhere and it was such a godsend to be able to enjoy his fantastic food at home on a Sunday after a difficult week. They literally stepped up to the plate, becoming honorary Covid warriors and providing an important community service. 'Rob and Vicky are a brilliant partnership. Their food is wonderful and we've also become regulars at the restaurant.' Vicky added: 'People found out about us in Covid and that got our names out there and that's something we've continued. So we are always looking at ways of increasing our offer so when our landlord, Huw Howatson, said that the two-bedroomed self-catering flat adjoining the restaurant was available Vicky decided to take the plunge and do it up. 'It's now on Airbnb and has hosted its first guest, someone from Canada who has relatives in the area, and we're hoping it will become a destination in its own right perhaps for people who want to go foraging. 'It's dog-friendly and so is the restaurant because it's all about being adaptable to people's needs to make the business more versatile.' Rob said: 'Since taking over at Nant y Felin, we have had to turn our hands to all sorts of things, from plumbing to joinery – I've made a lot of the furniture here and even our latest venture, turning an old fridge into a smoker. 'At the same time we're creating our own eco-system, putting food waste back into the garden whenever possible. 'We've also opened up the bar to customers who just want to come in and have a drink and we're employing 12 people here in the restaurant and most of us speak Welsh. 'Our menu changes virtually daily depending on what our suppliers have for us whether that's Vicky's uncle, Clwyd Dowell, at CLD Meats or the Vale Grocer, both in Denbigh, able to tell us exactly where their produce comes from or our fishmonger in Fleetwood . 'If they've got something special then we adapt the menu accordingly so we believe in using local produce even if we like to give it a twist. The idea is to go back to nature but using my skills as a fine dining chef to create something special.' That's true of Rob's signature dessert with tender young nettle leaves grown in the garden and harvested at the cost of a few stings before being transformed into a trio of nettle cheesecake, topped with a red nettle jelly and accompanied by deep pink nettle sorbet and garnished with ox-eye daisy and blue cornflowers. Vicky added: "The Nant y Felin really has become something very special to us. We are able to provide a service by cooking lovely produce for the local and wider community. 'We're a friendly place for people to just pop in and have a drink in the bar, it's a place where friends come to see us and most importantly, it's home for us, our son, Billy and our two lovely spaniels. 'Building all of this up over the last seven years is an achievement we're proud of and are looking forward to the future of the Nant y Felin." Join the North Wales Live WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone

Wrexham AFC's Kerry Evans releases book about her life
Wrexham AFC's Kerry Evans releases book about her life

Leader Live

time9 hours ago

  • Leader Live

Wrexham AFC's Kerry Evans releases book about her life

Many people will recognise Kerry Evans from the hugely-successful Welcome to Wrexham documentary. She has been the Disability Liaison Officer at Wrexham AFC for over a decade by now and has become a powerful force for change through that role. So much so, that a book all about her journey so far in life has been published. Kerry's autobiography 'Stronger Than You Think' will be available to buy from Amazon as of August 12. From surviving a near-fatal brain bleed to creating accessible spaces for fans and helping to transform the club she loves, Kerry's journey shows us that no matter what life throws our way, we are all stronger than we think. Speaking to The Leader, she says that conversations with her late nan and Wrexham AFC co-chairman Rob McElhenney ultimately convinced her to put her life onto pages. Kerry said: "The book came about as my late Nan used to say if I ever wrote a book no one would ever believe it to be true, because so much has happened in my life. "Then, at the first promotion from the National league I chatted to Rob McElhenny and said all I want to do in my role is inspire people and his reply was that I inspire hundreds of people including him. "Which then got me thinking if it was possible to write a book then my job would be fulfilled if just one person felt they too could achieve from being inspired by my story." The front cover of Kerry Evans' autobiography 'Stronger Than You Think'. (Image: Kerry Evans) Kerry added: "It then grew from there. I am so immensely proud now having it completed and seeing the front cover was a real wow moment, making it feel very real. "It's been a very long hard journey at times, but I really want to hopefully leave people with the belief, if I've been able to achieve, they too can achieve." The summary of Kerry's autobiography, published by BiteBack Publishing, reads; "Born with cerebral palsy, something she worked hard to overcome and forge ahead with her life, Kerry then suffered a bleed on the brain, which left her with no feeling on the right side nor the ability to walk. "Such a setback could have destroyed her. Initially, she lost confidence and felt worthless. But then Wrexham Football Club came into her life, and she was transformed. And then Hollywood came calling. TOP STORIES "As disability liaison officer at Wrexham, Kerry was one of only six staff members who worked at the club prior to the Hollywood takeover and is therefore uniquely qualified to speak about how life at the club has changed. "She has witnessed at first hand the incredible story of how two Hollywood stars fell in love with a small football club in north Wales and transformed not only the fortunes of the team but also those of the community surrounding it. "But this is not just the story of the Hollywood takeover at Wrexham – this is the story of how one woman's indomitable spirit enabled her to overcome adversity and spend her life helping others."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store