When Bill Psyllas bought and took over Slattery’s Pub & Grill in the Denver Tech Center in 2019, he — like all other business owners — could have never expected the challenges that would lie ahead.
On March 17, 2020, Slattery’s Pub & Grill had everything ready to go for it’s annual Saint Patrick’s Day party. That just so happened to be the day that they were told by authorities to shut down.
Despite the unexpected, Psyllas was able to grown profits more than 50% since then. He added new televisions around the restaurant and bar, upgraded the staff from the previous ownership, changed and updated the menu and visually "opened up" the space.
“I have great management staff here," Psyllas said. "I mean, the guy that’s the general manager — I’ve known him for 28 years or so,” Psyllas said.
“Great management, great staff, great atmosphere, our food quality is better, we’ve upgraded our kitchen staff,” Chief Operating Officer Johnny Psyllas said. “I think everybody takes pride in doing it and it’s shown in the sales.”
Now, as it comes to that time of year to celebrate again, the Psyllas brothers said the team are ready. Slattery’s is hosting its annual Saint Patrick’s Day celebration from Friday to March 19, with a serviced biergarten, beer truck and outdoor tent set up March 16th, 17th, and 18th.
Slattery’s, 5364 Greenwood Plaza Blvd., is not a traditional Irish Pub, Psyllas said. It's absent the strong smells of cigar smoke from years prior and sunlight fills the entire space during the day. The staff is welcoming, the food is somewhat Irish but mostly approachable and bar-goers are not left to just a bowl of bar nut mix to combat the Guinness.
“We’re more than just an Irish Pub I think, that’s why we call it Pub and Grill,” Bill Psyllas said.
The Greenwood Village City Council Members will start off the Saint Patrick’s Day weekend Thursday, March 16th at 4:30 p.m. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony along with Psyllas and his employees.
Ciorcal Cairde Irish Pipes & Drums band is scheduled to preform on March 11 and three times on March 17. There will be traditional Irish food and drinks served on a fixed menu during the celebration.
On Saint Patrick’s Day, it’s common for “everyone to be Irish for a day” as the saying goes. Whether you are chugging a “Dublin drop” (otherwise referred to as an Irish car bomb — a shot of Irish whiskey mixed with Irish cream dropped into a pint of Guinness) or just trying to avoid being pinched, the metro Denver area offers many places to celebrate.
Bill Psyllas also owns Hilltop Tap House in Parker.
