Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Owen O'Leary's in Brockton May Move to New Space

by Marc Hurwitz

[Ed note: This article was updated to reflect the fact that the pub is planning to move to a new space.]

An Irish pub that has been in business for more than a quarter century is shutting down, and it is apparently due to a lease issue.

Wicked Local is reporting that Owen O'Leary's in Brockton is closing next Friday, with owner Kevin Gill saying that he was not able to agree to new lease terms with landlord Philip Nessralla. Gill says that "Our lease was up. And that was it. We wanted to stay, but it seems some people didn’t necessarily want that," while Nessralla mentions that "No, we couldn’t come to terms....We decided maybe it's better if we try another avenue." It looks like a new, more upscale restaurant will come to the Belmont Street space in the fall, while Gill hopes to find a new location in the Brockton area for Owen O'Leary's. (Other locations of the pub remain open in Southborough and Westborough.)

Owen O'Leary's first opened in Brockton in 1992.

The address for Owen O'Leary's (and upcoming new restaurant) is 1280 Belmont Street, Brockton, MA, 02301. The website for all three locations of the pub can be found at http://www.owenolearys.com/

[October 17 update: Wicked Local states that Owen O'Leary's may have found a new home in Brockton, as it hopes to reopen in the old No. 1 Hong Kong Buffet space at 863 Belmont Street. Kevin Gill says that "It's not 100 percent yet, but we're almost there," as he is getting close to a lease agreement on the space. If all goes well, the new location of the pub could be opening in time for St. Patrick's Day of 2019.]

[March 19, 2019 update: A Facebook post from the place mentions that Owen O'Leary's hit "a couple speed bumps" but is still planning to open in a new space in Brockton, with the pub hoping to open sometime in the spring or summer.]

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Ten Good Places to Get Beer in the Boston Area]