St. Patrick's Day is quickly approaching, and although the rolling green hills of Ireland are a world away from the dry desert, Chandler residents can celebrate the holiday with Irish food, beer and music at Murphy's Law Irish Pub in Historic Downtown Chandler.
"We're extending out into the parking lot behind the pub for St. Patrick's Day, and we'll have five bands as well as bag pipes," said Roger Baldwin, owner of Murphy's Law.
The pub will offer a beer garden in its parking lot, and over the course of the night a trip to Ireland will be given away to one lucky patron. The staff is expecting to be very busy on St. Patrick's Day evening since Murphy's Law is the only Irish pub in Historic Downtown Chandler.
A busy Irish pub on a night where all things Irish are celebrated is not a surprise, but according to Baldwin, Murphy's Law has had very little trouble attracting a strong clientele on a regular basis since it opened last November.
"Downtown Chandler and the Crowne Plaza San Marcos Resort have been great to us, and we've been surprised with how busy we are," Baldwin said. "We even have a strong breakfast and lunch on the weekends."
Matt Schaper, general manager of Murphy's Law, echoes Baldwin's sentiments.
"We're developing a strong regular customer base," Schaper said. "People like our food and they keep coming back."
The menu at Murphy's Law features traditional Irish dishes along with American classics. Entrees are priced from $7 to $15.
"Our Shepherd's pie and fish and chips are really popular, and our reasonably priced 23 beers on tap keep people coming back," Schaper said.
Close attention to customer service is another tenet at Murphy's Law.
"I'm a big fan of customer service and quality, so we make sure people are greeted quickly and that their food comes out fast," Baldwin said. "When I was hiring I required that every employee have at least one year of restaurant experience, and they had to be at their most previous job for more than one year."
Although Murphy's Law is Baldwin's first venture in the restaurant business, he feels his pub fits in perfectly with the downtown Chandler dynamic.
"I met my wife at an Irish pub in Colorado, and we had been talking about opening a restaurant for awhile," he said. "The pub is just a great fit in this nice building in downtown Chandler, especially since most Irish pubs in Arizona seem to be in strip malls."
On St. Patrick's Day Murphy's Law will open at 10 a.m. and close at 2 a.m. the following day. The pub is located in Historic Downtown Chandler at 58 S. San Marcos Place. For more information, call (480) 812-1588.
