Celt Pub opening in I.F. now looks more like mid-August

Jim McGeachin

Jim and Janice McGeachin had hoped to open their Irish pub on Friday, in time for the birthday of their son, James, but it's not going to happen. They will be celebrating there with the band they hired for the occasion, Swagger, from Park City. But it looks more like The Celt Pub is going to have a soft opening in mid-August, with a grand opening Aug. 24-25.

The project, at the corner of Broadway and Park Avenue, has been bigger and more involved than they ever imagined, said Jim McGeachin. "Before we could do anything, we had to completely gut it," he said. The basement had a dirt floor, so they poured a foundation. Floor joists had been cut to make way for stairs, so they had to do major structural renovation.

The Celt Pub's dumbwaiter

"There wasn't a single wire we could use. It's completely new wiring and new plumbing," he said. There are walk-in coolers in the basement, as well as a dishwashing room served by a dumbwaiter.

With the structural work done, the building has more integrity than it's probably ever had. The hardwood floors are being stained this week.

People have been very eager to know about The Celt Pub's progress. "I've been involved in business my whole life, but I've never been involved in anything with the level of excitement this has," McGeachin said.

He has also become a downtown booster. "I think we're really going to add something and make downtown a place people want to come. At this point, I'm very excited about it. I like a business that I can build with my hands."

The Celt will have six taps devoted to European brews, six devoted to domestic, and 12 for craft beer. It will also serve wine and mixed drinks. Food will be served, although they haven't started interviewing chefs yet.

Visit The Celt's Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/?ref=hp#!/The.Celt.Idaho.Falls

Taplines in the basement walk-in cooler