Bagpipes hail the opening of Keagan’s Irish Pub in Ottawa

When Jim Fritz’s brother learned about his latest business venture, he raised the question: What does a man of German and Italian descent know about running an Irish pub?

Fritz said he sure didn’t know, but it’s working out pretty well so far.

Keagan’s Irish Pub, located at 218 W. Main St. in Ottawa, was christened Friday as city officials conducted a ribbon-cutting ceremony, with the sound of bagpipes and the smells of tasty dishes abounding.

Fritz, who originally from Joliet and has lived in the Marseilles/Seneca area since 2002, is the owner of the new establishment that boasts a fully stocked bar featuring Irish spirits and a menu of traditional bar foods, with a growing list of Irish comfort foods being added daily.

“It feels great to be a part of the Ottawa community,” Fritz said. “I really like what the city is doing with the downtown, helping people fix up their businesses, all the promotions, drawing more people into town. When all this came about, the first thing that came to my mind was the location, so I had to go with this, and it’s been great.”

The bar’s history is somewhat unconventional. Fritz, a carpenter who has been in the contracting business for 34 years, was hired to do the renovations at the site and played a large part in the Irish décor.

Because of “complications to getting paid,” Fritz ended up taking over the bar to recoup the finances and decided to try to make a go of it, despite having only marginal experience in the food services industry many years ago.

“We kept the Irish theme in place because, frankly, this place looks Irish,” Fritz said with a laugh. “We’re just striving to be a little different from everyone else.

“It’s a new toy, a new tool that I have to learn how to use. … I know how to run a business, but this is a completely different animal in so many different aspects: the employees and their training, the food, the liquor. We’re just kinda winging it, but I’ve hired some good help to get me through this.”

Keagan’s’s manager is Maria Granados, who has degrees in the hospitality industry and managed an Irish pub in Chicago, while the chef is Andrew England, who makes all the salad dressing and sauces in-house to keep everything fresh, and who has been able to take staff suggestions for the menu “to another level,” Fritz said.

When it first opened Sept. 23, Keagan’s’s started out with the basics of bar food – a list of appetizers, pub-style sandwiches and salads – but it is transitioning into its own version of Irish comfort food thanks to the expertise of England.

The grand opening menu included steak and mushroom meat pie, fish and chips and a lemon butter scallop pasta with garlic bread. Patrons can expect daily specials such as shepherd’s pie, mulligan stew and corned beef and cabbage, among other Irish specialties.

“We’ve had a real good crowd coming in, and we’re getting a real good vibe from them,” Fritz said. “We’re still learning, but we’re off to a good start.”