A Local Pub Gets Bigger and Better

It’s Tuesday night at Hennessey’s Tavern in Hermosa Beach and the bar is hosting a birthday party for the 90-year-old beach city. Balloons bounce against the ceiling, photos of yesteryear have been put on display and there’s a lot of beer drinking going on.

The birthday bash is not all that the 20-year-old tavern is celebrating tonight. Never before have so many people turned up at Hennessey’s, and as this crowd of beach bums, college students and locals mingles, Hennessey’s operators revel in all the merrymaking.

Last summer, owner Paul Hennessey purchased the beachfront lot where Diana’s had served up tacos and burritos, knocked down a few walls and expanded, more than quadrupling the size of this Pier Avenue beach pub, and business is booming. This is one of the first big parties and Hennessey’s expects many more to come.

“We’ve been rockin’ ever since we finished the expansion,” said Bryan Beckman, the general manager. “We’ve never had this many people in here before.”

Opened in 1976, the original tavern features lots of memorabilia such as an Irish flag and Hennessey crest, and shamrocks are painted all over the place. The expansion includes the addition of a second bar and dining area, which looks out at the ocean and the busy foot traffic on the Strand, and a rooftop deck that will host beach scenesters when the weather warms up.

The bar is sleek, featuring shiny wooden stools and two televisions tuned for the sports fans. And now there are finally enough tables to accommodate patrons. Though tables fill up quickly, most patrons are willing to share, presenting a great opportunity to meet new people.

The charm of the old Hennessey’s, the first of nine establishments that have opened along the coast from Pacific Beach to Manhattan Beach, has been kept intact. The exposed brick walls remain along with the longtime customers, who seem to prefer the old side of the bar, which remains intact.

The face lift has not only made Hennessey’s bigger and better, it has given the bar more options for entertainment. There’s room for a band now, and acoustic rockers Friday’s Past played at the birthday party.

A Super Bowl party with inexpensive food and beer is scheduled for Sunday, and wine tastings and beer dinners will be scheduled in the future. Though there is plenty of space to do more, Beckman said Hennessey’s doesn’t really have to--it’s a neighborhood bar and that is its appeal.

Regulars couldn’t agree more.

“This is the place to be in Hermosa Beach. It’s the place where everyone meets,” said regular Diane Ferry of Hermosa Beach. “But it’s great that they expanded. It’s so much bigger now and so many more people come.”

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Where: Hennessey’s Tavern, 8 Pier Ave., Hermosa Beach; (310) 372-5759.

When: Daily, 7 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Cost: No cover. Corned beef and cabbage, $7.25; corned beef sandwich, $5.50; domestic, bottled beer $2.75 to $3.25; wine, $3.50 to $5.