Paddy Murphy’s Comes to Marco

Paddy Murphy’s Irish Pub, a popular, downtown Naples eatery, is relocating to the newly refurbished Marco Town Center plaza. 

An early 2022 debut is anticipated, said Michael O’Regan, who is partners in the restaurant and bar with his son, Mike, and fellow Marco Island resident Johnny “Spoons” McNaboe. Paddy Murphy’s will occupy a portion of the space that housed the now closed Vandy’s 5 Brothers Sports Bar.

Marco Town Center’s owners, New York City based Brixmor Property Group, began a $10 million redevelopment of the 31-year-old plaza in November of 2019. The project includes updates to buildings and landscaping, improved parking and the addition of new business, such as apparel retailer J. McLaughlin, Noire the Nail Bar, Margaritaville apparel, the Thai Thai Sushi Bowl restaurant, the Tropical Smoothie Café and now, Paddy Murphy’s.

O’Regan said the pub operated from the same location on 5th Avenue South in Naples for 22 years, until closing when its year-to-year lease expired on July 31 of 2020, after the building owners decision to follow through on long-delayed plans to redevelop the property.

“We had a great run,” he said.

Efforts to find another location in Naples failed to work out. Then Brixmor approached the partnership about shifting operations to the Town Center, explained O’Regan, who lives within walking distance of the plaza. 

“I’ve always lived on Marco,” said O’Regan, who is known as Moose. “I’ve been here since 1988. But Marco’s a lot more seasonal than Naples, so I never thought it could support what we do, an Irish pub, year-round. But Marco has really changed, in the last three or four years especially. I’d started noticing how busy it was on the island, even in the summertime, and the rent is a lot more affordable. So, we decided to go for it.” 

He praised the improvements made by Brixmor.

“They resolved a lot of the parking issues, they’ve put a lot of money into the facelift,” he said. “Other businesses are going in there too. So, I think it’s going to be more of a destination now and I think adding us to the plaza will be a draw, as well. So, we’re very excited about it.” 

Paddy Murphy’s will occupy about half of the roughly 6,000-square-foot footprint of the former Vandy’s, the right-front portion of the building, nearest the post office. The interior will feature a 50-foot-long bar, as did the Naples location. But unlike the original, there’ll also be an outdoor patio, with an indoor-outdoor bar and food. There will also be a kitchen serving food, something offered only sporadically during the pub’s initial incarnation. The menu is still being developed, but traditional Irish fare will be a focal point. 

Another familiar touch will be live musical entertainment provided by O’Regan and his wife Mary Jo, a realtor with Engel & Volkers Marco Island office. 

“In Naples, we had a real loyal following from Marco that would come out and support us,” he said. “There’s a lot of excitement on Marco right now. The community has been really supportive and they’re really looking forward to having a Paddy Murphy’s on the island.”