Paul Longo (L), Paul McDaid
Feb. 11, 2016 By Christian Murray
The new owners of Molly Blooms, who took over the establishment three weeks ago from Ciaran Staunton, have big plans to overhaul the well-known gastropub.
The owners will rename the 43-13 Queens Blvd. establishment in about two months. They will also change the frontage and modify the layout to create additional floor space.
The revamp is expected to start sometime between St. Patrick’s Day and the end of April and is likely to take a month or two.
“We don’t want to start our full-scale renovation too soon,” said Paul Longo, 31, who is one of the three owners. “We want to get a better understanding of the neighborhood and our customers first.”
In the interim, the owners are making some minor changes to the lighting, music and furniture. The menu is also being overhauled and the cocktail menu revamped.
Longo’s brother Westyn, 26, is also a co-owner alongside Paul McDaid, 29, who has lived in Sunnyside since he moved to New York 5.5 years ago from Sligo, Ireland.
McDaid, who lives near the bar and has gotten to known Staunton, has been friends with the Longos since he arrived in New York.
“We all got to know each other at Ryan Maguire’s [AleHouse] in the financial district,” McDaid said, and “I had my eye on this place [Molly Blooms] for some time.”
The three men, who went on to undertake different ventures, then came together to open this bar as well as an establishment in Williamsburg. The Williamsburg bar/restaurant is called the Falcon Laundry, located at 65 N 7th St., and is having its soft opening this week.
“We just love Sunnyside and see a lot of potential here,” said Paul Longo, who hails from Woodbridge, Conn., and now lives in Greenpoint.
The owners aim to bring a modern feel to an Irish bar.
“We grew up in the Irish bar business,” Longo said. “We want to stick with what we know but add some young creative flare.”
When they start their major renovation, they plan on getting rid of the ornate frontage and simplifying it.
Their plans include bringing in a landscape architect to redesign the rear yard to create a country feel.
“We just don’t want there to be a space that is just a bunch of tables and chairs,” Paul Longo said.
The layout of the bar will change with the whole front area opened up.
The menu has been clipped back as the owners slowly roll out new dishes. Currently, diners can order burgers, salads, hummus, wings and omelets. The produce is locally sourced, McDaid said.
McDaid said that every item has been carefully selected and that they will continue to add items to the menu after they are reviewed. He said that they have brought on a chef to design it.
“We could create a menu tonight and put 50 items on it,” Longo said. “But we want to make sure we are offering quality, so we are starting small and building on it.”
The kitchen will be open until 2 a.m. every night and residents will be able to order for delivery until that hour. The bar will remain open until 4 a.m.
However, Longo said, they won’t overdo the revamp.
“We don’t want to try and do much and portray ourselves as being something we are not,” he said. “We pride ourselves on being a local bar.”
