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100-year-old bar looks to the future

MARIETTA – When current owner Kevin Whitby took over the Harmar Tavern 26 years ago, part of the pub had dirt floors, and customers would be hard-pressed to find anything to eat.

Now, the Harmar Tavern, a 100-year-old staple in Marietta’s west side community, has atmosphere that can be suited to anyone through a friendly and clean pub environment and is full of comfort food, old favorites and craft beers that bring in a wide variety of patrons.

“We have people come in here of all ages and all walks,” Whitby said. “We have people tell us this was the first place their parents brought them after they were born, and this was the first place they brought their child. It’s just a place you can come and not have problems.”

The tavern settled in Harmar Village celebrated not only its 100th birthday on Sunday, but the future, as the west side hangout prepares to expand.

“We plan to knock down the back wall and create an opening so the bartender can see the whole room,” Whitby said. “We’ll bring down those outside pillars and expand out so the whole bar will be just one room.”

The popular patio area, which Whitby had built in the 1990s, will stay relatively the same, but the back end of the building will be extended to allow for the addition of more indoor seating and an open bar area that brings the interior up to date.

“We plan to start within two weeks,” Whitby said.

Though Whitby is not sure when the building was constructed, his research has shown that it was likely built not long after the building housing Spagna’s, which was constructed sometime in the 1840s.

In the midst of the Great Depression, the tavern read “Economy Restaurant” across the front and advertised that it sold cigarettes, and was once considered to be the kind of place where a fight would break out.

When he took it over, Whitby said the tavern had no food, no music and was full of bright florescent lights.

“We really believe that what Kevin has done has added to the community of the west side,” said his wife, Cathy.

The Harmar Tavern’s “Sure to be Famous” fried bologna sandwich is a popular and sought-after menu item that has helped drive business in addition to homemade soups, wings and prime rib.

“When we added food, that was a major shift; before you couldn’t even get a cup of coffee,” Whitby said. “The bologna sandwich is what helped us take off. We sell more of it than we sell anything else.”

Through four owners beginning at the turn of the 20th century, Whitby said he still has some veteran customers that have remained loyal, though he has seen an increase in younger patrons. He also used to have just two employees, and now has 50 between the tavern and Spagna’s restaurant, which he also owns.

Marietta resident Brian Karcher, 39, said he considers himself a regular at the Harmar Tavern.

“I’ve already been here three times this week,” he said on Friday. “I come here for the hometown hospitality.”

Karcher said a good bar is one where the bartenders are more like family.

“Coming here, the bartenders are like having your sister wait on you,” he said.

Among customers are a few notable ones, as former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland used to patronize the Harmar Tavern while he served as a Congressman, and former Sen. John Edwards and a former ambassador of China also have visited.

“And we have a ghost here, too,” Whitby said. “We call her Mollie, and she sits in the corner.”

For Marietta College graduate John Fay, now a resident of Hudson, visiting the tavern again after 30 years is a blast from the past.

“It hasn’t changed a lot,” he said. “I used to come here a lot over the summer.”

Manager Robert Farley said the Harmar Tavern, besides boasting its clean and fun atmosphere, prides itself on consistency.

“We’re open 365 days a year,” he said, noting that a flood, bad weather and blackouts have not stopped the hangout from opening.

Harmar Tavern held its 100th birthday celebration Sunday, with some giveaways, a cake cutting, craft beer and commemorative shirts.

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