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Molly Darcy's Restaurant & Pub, Foley's Antiques
Jovial Mike Foley appears perched to ride any financial whirlwind that may descend on Southie; if he doesn't, it won't be for lack of trying.
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MORE INFORMATION
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Molly Darcy's Restaurant & Pub
Location: 658 E. Broadway, Boston
Phone: 617-268-1177
Get directions
Foley's Antiques
Location: 612 E. Broadway, Boston
Phone: 617-268-4400
Get directions
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Foley arrived in Boston a decade ago, leaving a job at a pub in County Kerry on the southwestern corner of Ireland. Today, the enterprising businessman owns Molly Darcy's Restaurant & Pub and Foley's Antiques. A third business - a framing shop and art gallery on West Broadway - is in the works.
Citing the influx of newcomers and the revamped waterfront, Foley sees boom times for South Boston.
If the success of Molly Darcy's is any yardstick, then Foley's prediction is on the money. The pub, which serves lunch and dinner and is open until 1 a.m., attracts large crowds of locals and new arrivals.
"About 85 new residents move into Southie each week, and I mail fliers to them for Molly's - with discount coupons," says Foley. "Most of those coupons end up back in my hands."
Fashioned after a famous Killarney pub of the same name, Molly's has a hardwood exterior that at first looked misplaced among the stolid surrounding storefronts, but now seems to fit nicely into the changing neighborhood.
Inside, mahogany-stained walls, carved bookcases, and a working fireplace give it a homey feel. And the menu keeps Foley in mind of home - its hardy Irish fare includes stews, fish and chips, and meat pies. Molly's also serves steaks, chops, and burgers, with entrees running in the $6-to-$10 range.
"I want it to be a neighborhood pub that offers something that hasn't been here before," says Foley, who adds that much of his business comes from downtown as well as other neighborhoods. "It's a great place for a pint and chat."
As for his antiques store (formerly a TV repair shop), he says he saw a need and filled it.
"The new crowd in the condos were looking for fine pieces and longtime residents wanted to fill out their furnishings," says Foley, who sells accent pieces from England and larger items bought at New England estate sales. His stock can range from a delicate Victorian end table to a massive mahogany bar (he picked up one at an estate sale in Peabody and says he sold it for nearly $10,000).
According to Foley, this kind of store in this location 10 years ago would been hard pressed to make a go of it. Now, a mixed crowd of young and old, newcomers and lifelong residents passes under his transom daily.
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