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A Galena pub is working on expanding its kitchen and adding an outdoor dining area.
Officials at Frank O’Dowd’s Irish Pub & Grill, located in the Irish Cottage Inn & Suites at 9853 U.S. 20 W., hope to have construction completed on the project later this month, said food and beverage director Joshua Roberts.
Construction started in mid-November, several months after the pub changed its menu and began to rebrand.
“We have a pretty large following,” Roberts said. “Our occupancy is really growing.”
The work on the kitchen will make the space more functional, he said, especially after the menu shifted away from fried foods into higher quality options.
Roberts said he hopes to add lunch options to the menu following the expansion, as well as expand the eatery’s hours.
The new outdoor dining deck will seat 80 people and will have space to host live music events in the coming months, he said.
“A lot of what we hear is that a lot of Galena caters to some of the older residents and older clientele that visit Galena,” Roberts said. “Some of the millennials and younger generations are looking for that nightlife, outdoor seating, live music, those kind of things. We’re excited about the opportunity of adding that option.”
Frank O’Dowd’s Irish Pub can be reached at 815-776-0707 and found online at frankodowdsirishpub.com and facebook.com/frankodowds.