April 15, 2016 By Christian Murray
The Starting Gate, which has been a popular Woodside bar for decades and a favorite among Irish immigrants, is being sold.
Joseph Moloney, currently a bartender, is taking over the 59-10 Woodside Avenue pub along with two investors.
The Starting Gate is best known for being a sports bar and typically plays all the major baseball, football, soccer, rugby and Gaelic football games. The pub has a long bar and high tables. There is also a rear yard with picnic tables.
Moloney, who will be the working partner, told Community Board 2’s Public Safety Committee Wednesday that the present owner Phil Reilly didn’t want to keep the business and offered him the opportunity to take it over.
Moloney went before Community Board 2 to get its blessing for him to take over Reilly’s liquor license.
Moloney, who currently works at the Station Bar in Woodside, told the committee that he has been in the bar/restaurant industry for 10 to 15 years with stints at the Cuckoos Nest in Woodside and O’Lunny’s in Times Square.
The Community Board gave Moloney the thumbs up, saying that the Starting Gate had a good record and Moloney had the experience necessary to run a licensed establishment.
