Beloved neighborhood pub in Portland changes hands
Photo courtesy of King Real Estate
A view of the interior of Howie's Pub, a popular Portland bar, which was recently sold to two long-time patrons for $320,000.
PORTLAND — Who better to buy a much-loved local bar than two long-time patrons who also have a ton of experience in the food industry?
Joseph Hardy and Adam Moore, under the name Highlife LLC, bought the neighborhood Howie's Pub, at 501 Washington Ave. in the East Deering neighborhood, from long-time owner Howie Chadbourne for $320,000, in a deal that closed Jan. 10.
Chadbourne was represented by Michael Jacobson of King Real Estate LLC. Jacobson himself has a long-time fondness for the pub.
“I consider it one of the iconic pubs,” Jacobson said. About eight interested parties came forward and most made offers, he said.
“Howie gravitated toward these two young guys,” he said.
“We came in here all the time,” said Hardy. “I’ve been bugging him for years: ‘When you’re ready to be done, give me a chance to buy it.”
Hardy grew up in South Portland, went to high school in Standish and has lived in Portland for 18 years. Up to now, he’s been working in and managing different restaurants in Portland. Most recently, he held the position of bar manager for a restaurant called Terlingua.
Hardy and Moore have known each other for five years; they met working at the same restaurant. Moore has most recently worked at the Bayside Bowl and lives near the pub.
“We’d been talking about getting a business together for a while — always looking,” said Hardy. “We both really love this place. Sometimes persistence pays off … I don’t know who wouldn’t want this place.”
Chadbourne had owned the bar in 2002. Jacobson said that, at the time, it was in pretty bad shape, but always a local favorite. The history of the place is a bit hazy, but Hardy thinks the building — a one-story, brick-front structure — was built in the 1920s. It was once a bar called Yogi’s Den under a previous owner.
One Yelp reviewer praised Howie’s for “cheap food that's made with love, an owner who cares about keeping his place authentic, all-night-long cheap cocktails, beer and, well, drinks.”
As noted on Yelp, the parking situation can be tricky, due to the pub’s location just off the I-295 exit. Parking is around back, and patrons go in through a back entrance.
“We love what Howie built,” Hardy said. “He worked a long time to get it where it is. We want to keep that going. That’s important to us.”
Howie’s location catches tons of pedestrian and vehicle traffic, Hardy said. Various restaurants are nearby.
“It’s a popular place for people in the restaurants, when they get out of work, to stop by on their way home,” said Jacobson.
The building is in great shape, so no rehab is expected, Hardy said.
“I did put a couple of different beers on tap. That’s really it,” he said.
Given the pub’s long-time popularity, it has a loyal following in a mix of ages — from young adults now discovering it, to one-time young adults who grew older with the pub.
“You think of Howie’s as being there forever,” said Hardy.
Chadbourne will continue to come in Tuesday evenings to emcee his popular “Trivia Night,” said Hardy, who said he will continue to consult Chadbourne on the business.
Most Recent
Most Recent
Comments