A couple is turning to a long-idle building in Charlottetown in hopes of 'triplicating' the success of a popular Irish pub.
Paul Manseur is teaming up with his fiancÉe Jill MacDonald, a native Islander, to open the Maritimes' third The Old Triangle Irish Ale House.
They hope to open in the spring in the building on the corner of University Avenue and Fitzroy Street that housed the failed J.R.'s Place.
The couple is not the least bit superstitious of starting up their first business in a building that managed to stay open less than one year over the past decade.
They believe Triangle has a proven track record that will see the third installment of the traditional Irish pub flourish in the capital city.
Manseur, 33, and MacDonald, 30, are partnering with entertainer Brian Doherty in opening a pub with "great food and great entertainment'' that focuses on traditional Island and Irish music.
| TripAdvisor reviews of The Old Triange Irish Ale House in Halifax |
Manseur, who is from Halifax, started dating MacDonald while the couple worked at the pub in Halifax. They plan to marry in September once they've got their business off the ground here.
"We love this business and we love Irish culture and music,'' said Manseur. "It's the perfect fit for us. It's been our dream for a long time.''
MacDonald, who grew up in Bunbury, said she always knew she would return to P.E.I.
A 10-year lease has been signed with a Halifax lawyer who owns the building.
Johnny Reid shut the doors on June 30, 2005, after buying the building in 1999, then opening after five years of renovations and hassles, only to close a mere seven months later.
"It cost me a lot of money,'' Reid, the legendary former nightclub owner, told The Guardian this week. "I lost everything I put into it.''
Manseur and MacDonald don't feel the luck of the Irish is necessary for their pub to thrive. Not when they are armed with a proven product and a solid business plan.
They also believe the building is well located in Charlottetown's downtown core with the Jean Canfield Government of Canada building next door and plenty of other workers nearby, including two recently opened office buildings.
"We plan to be around for a while,'' said Manseur.
"We're not going anywhere.''
He is also pleased with the building itself with its approximately 315 square metres of space on each of the two main floors. There is also a large patio.
Manseur said the business would sport a classic Irish pub interior.
"So we are going to really deck out the first floor and then hopefully be able to use the second floor for corporate functions and parties and overflow,'' he said.
"There's lots of great pubs in Charlottetown and we hope to count ourselves as one of them.''
