Officially opened on October 12, 2017, Mary O’Neill’s has proved to be very popular with local residents. Lee McShane, one of the owners of Mary O’Neill’s, said, “We knew that we were going to have a huge welcome, but it’s a lot bigger than we ever it imagined. We expected people to come but it’s been amazing. And the good feedback has been wonderful.” In fact, they have been so busy, they haven’t been able to plan a Grand Opening! McShane explained that they haven’t even had time to sit down and think about it.
One of the things that people enjoy the most is that they are open all day on Monday. Mary O’Neill’s joined a growing list of options open in Waxhaw on Monday including DreamChasers Brewery and Provisions Waxhaw. And while Mary O’Neill’s is still serving their soft opening menu, they do have plans to expand it in the future. In the meantime, the entire staff has been working hard to contribute to their success. McShane described why the staff is a huge part of that success. “The servers and bar tenders have been the same since the beginning, we haven’t have any turnover. The hosts and hostesses have all been great. We have hired a few more people and are still filling some positions in the back of the house. They [the kitchen staff] are working hard to make sure everything is great. We wouldn’t have been the success that we are without them and the servers. It’s tough and they have been doing a fantastic job.“
Mary O’Neill’s participated in Fright Night this year. They gave out candy to the kids during the day and enjoyed seeing all of the adults in costume at night. McShane explained that he was surprised with how serious Halloween was in Waxhaw. “Halloween was crazy. I’ve never experienced anything like that before. We are used to kids trick or treating, but nothing like this. It has a top quality, hometown feel. Waxhaw closed the streets and all the kids and parents were getting into it. It was serious!”
Mary O’Neill’s is looking forward to the upcoming holidays too. They will be closed on Thanksgiving Day so that everyone can spend the time with their families. They are planning on closing at 3 pm on Christmas Eve and will be closed all day on Christmas Day as well as the day after. In Ireland, they celebrate St. Stephen’s Day on December 26th. While Christmas Day is spent with family, St Stephen’s day is for friends to celebrate together. They are planning on having a big party on New Year’s Eve starting with a toast at 7p.m., which is midnight in Ireland, with another toast at midnight local time.
