- July 15, 2026
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It was 13 months ago when Tory Delany, her husband, Darren Shore, and their partner, Kevin O'Hanlon, signed the lease for their new Irish pub and restaurant, Delany's Public House, at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch.
They figured to do a little renovating at the time, so it would be a quick turnaround and they could be open for business quickly.
The problem was that a quick turnaround would leave them with the typical American version of an Irish pub. After looking at "the bones" of the existing restaurant, they knew it was going to take more than a "couple of plastic shamrocks."
More than a year later, Delany's Public House is now ready to open on July 23.
On July 13, Delany walked through the front doors of her restaurant to give a tour to a reporter.
"Visually, it is a 'Wow!'" she said.
That's no blarney.
It was hard to believe that this spot on Lakewood Main Street had been home to two previous restaurants, McGrath's or McAllister's. There was no trace of either of the previous tenants. The inside has undergone a transformation.
"I am very proud of the man-hours that have gone into this," Delany said. "It still takes my breath away. I am incredibly proud."
Delany was asked if she was worried about following two businesses that didn't make it longterm in that particular spot in Lakewood Ranch.
"At this stage, this is our restaurant No. 8," said Delany, who also owns Allswell in Waterside Place of Lakewood Ranch. "We are confident and we have 30 years of hospitality behind us. We know what needs to be done."
She said that she and her husband, along with O'Hanlon, saw a "gap" in the Lakewood Ranch market. Then they went to work.
"I think people will say, 'They have spent the money, the time, and the effort," Delany said. "And the Irish bar always is the true cornerstone of the community.
"This is a great place, with great parking, and pedestrian traffic."
The strategy was simple in nature. Delany, Shore and O'Hanlon are all natives of Ireland who wanted to produce a pub/restaurant just like the ones they would have found at home.
"We wanted to make it something we all grew up with," said O'Hanlon, who started working with Delany and Shore in 2014 as a manager and then was brought on as a partner after COVID-19. "It's particularly because we are Irish."
Executing that strategy wasn't so simple. They signed with the company Food Ireland to bring in most of the products they would be selling. They also had to scour Ireland to find furniture, woodwork, antiques, and other resources to create their desired environment. This spring, Delany took a trip to Derry, Ireland to buy much of the furniture.
The owners also convinced 10 of their former employees in their three New York City restaurants — Mezcali, Malt House, and The Spot — to move to Florida to help run Delany's Public House. The owners found two Lakewood Ranch woodworkers who were born in Ireland and hired them to build the bar.
"We wanted to provide something unique and incredibly special," O'Hanlon said. "I didn't want to be the gimmicky (restaurant)."
Delany said their customers will see and taste the difference of a genuine Irish public house.
"The sausages, the bacon, the meats, the Irish breads, the cheeses, it all comes from Ireland," Delany said. "It is about how everything is raised, the quality of the beef."
O'Hanlon talked about the bangers and mashed as an example.
"The gravy recipe is one that has been passed down through the generations," he said. "We incorporate Guinness into the gravy. The mashed potatoes are made with Irish butter."
The bar will have a true Irish pub feel. For example, Delany said it was in the late 1970s when women were allowed into Irish pubs and even then the pubs added "snugs," which were small, enclosed seating compartments that were typically fitted with a private door, or dark wood paneling, so women could enjoy a drink without being seen by the male patrons. They would ring a bell when they wanted to order a drink.
Of course, anyone will be able to sit in the Delany Public House snugs.
Delany said it will be the only authentic Irish pub in the region, and none of their previous seven restaurants had been named after the owners. Delany said she has a good, authentic, Irish name, so it was time. O'Hanlon noted that it is a bit different for an Irish pub in America.
"It's not O-something," he said.
Delany said she is happy with Main Street at Lakewood Ranch as well.
"We have been so welcomed here," she said. "We have been very supported by our merchant neighbors."
The front of the pub-restaurant will include a retail store that Delany called an old, Irish sweet shop that she said could be compared to a deli.
Nils Tarantik has been hired as the executive chef while Jonathan Whichard joins him as a main chef.
Delany said her patrons will continue to see her at both Allswell and at Delany's Public House on most days. "We enjoy what we do," she said. "It is not just about opening the doors. We are investing in the future. We will be present. If the cleaner doesn't show up, we are going to do it."
The restaurant will employ 35-40 people. On July 13, the restaurant was conducting orientation for many of them.
"We are very particular about the people we hire," O'Hanlon said. "We want to have people that you want to see."
"The key to being successful as a bartender is a person who makes you want to come back," Delany said.
The pub, which has a stage, will feature live music.
