By Julie Shapiro
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
FINANCIAL DISTRICT — Ryan Maguire’s Ale House could reopen as soon as March 1, a little more than a year after a fire forced the popular downtown pub to close, the owners announced this week.
Tom and Mena Maguire, who have owned the bar and restaurant at 28 Cliff St. for nearly two decades, said the post-fire repairs were difficult, but they are nearly complete.
"It’s been a rough road," Mena Maguire said. "It's been much slower than we anticipated."
The three-alarm blaze that tore through the building’s basement early in the morning of Feb. 24, 2010 gutted the ground-floor bar and damaged the three residential floors above.
Everything in the bar had to be replaced after the electrical fire, but Maguire said she tried to keep the decor similar, with new wood floors and a homey vibe.
The menu, which included burgers and three types of fries, will also remain the same, Maguire said. The only big change is that the kitchen moved from the ground floor to the basement, to make more room for patrons.
Maguire, who lives with her husband in Riverdale, the Bronx, said she is anxious to get the bar open again, hopefully by the beginning of March. The building still needs some more work and city approvals, as it has a partial vacate order from the Department of Buildings.
"It’s very nerve-wracking at this stage, but we’re getting a lot of support from the neighborhood," Maguire said. "We’re hoping for the best."
