Blacksburg pub aims to become more Irish
The new sign on the former Castle's Kettle and Pub. Daniel Lin | The Roanoke Times
Less than five months removed from its April 13 opening, the restaurant formerly known as Castle’s Kettle and Pub has undergone a flurry of changes, including its name.
In a statement released Wednesday, the restaurant announced it would now be known as T. Flynn’s Pub and cited comments from customers that the restaurant’s previous title was not “Irish enough.”
Owner Tony Faulds confirmed this during a phone interview Thursday and added that he personally likes the “Irish feel” of the name Flynn.
The dropping of the name “Castle” comes alongside the departure of former co-owner Joe Castle from the company.
Faulds said the two decided to go separate ways, which he believes was in part because Castle wanted to spend more time with his family. He said that while there had been discussion about changing the restaurant’s name prior to Castle’s departure, his leaving did expedite that change.
Faulds said the restaurant has also undergone many other changes, which he believes were likely needed as a result of his and Castle’s inexperience in the restaurant industry.
“We were trying to go for a mix of alumni and students, and in the process, I think we priced ourselves out of the market,” Faulds said.
To compensate for this, he said the venue now offers more competitive prices, as well as a larger selection of beers. Faulds said that when they first opened, they wanted to bring in a large assortment of rare beers, but he now sees the value in also having beers that guests will immediately recognize.
The bar isn’t the only part that’s been upgraded.
Faulds said decorating the restaurant is now complete, as well as their outdoor deck. Televisions have been added to the venue — one downstairs in the bar area and three upstairs to provide more of a sports-bar feeling.
Though customers will likely notice the variety of changed aspects, Faulds believes they will pale in comparison to the restaurant’s new atmosphere.
“The biggest change people will see is the feel of the place. It feels more homey, more like an Irish pub,” Faulds said.
The Roanoke Times | 381-1643
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I love Irish pubs! And the thought of one in Blacksburg is appealing. But adding TVs and removing the specialty beers makes this pub LESS Irish, not more. It does make it more like every other bar in Blacksburg though.
Comment by Mark Lattanzi — September 1, 2012 @ 1:05 pm
I really likes Castle’s the way it was before the change to Flynn’s. The food menu is a little bigger, but mostly the same. The beer and alcohol menu is considerably different though. And the addition of the TV’s I think really detracts from the place. Sure, I can watch the game there now, but it lost a lot of the uniqueness that made it a destination for us. Now it’s so similar to anywhere else in town that it’s lost that special touch. And their parking situation still stinks…but should be greatly improved once the big parking deck nearby opens up.
Comment by Other John — September 10, 2012 @ 1:11 pm