For more than a decade, Tom McGregor helped other companies open restaurants and bars. Now, he has launched one of his own.
McGregor’s Public House opened at Bell Tower shopping center in south Fort Myers, taking over the former space that had been used by World of Beer, where Meagan McGregor, Tom’s wife, was one of the original bartenders.
The McGregors retooled the bar in the image of a traditional Irish pub. Flags from around the world adorn the ceiling, and a wall mural painted by Sanibel Island artist Rachel Pierce greets patrons on the outside.
Inside, there are 20 beers on tap, with the same 20 also available outside. There are also about 150 canned and bottled beer options. Eventually, there will be a menu, with elevated takes on Irish classics.
By next year, McGregor’s will get even bigger, occupying adjacent space that had been a shop called Cache.
“I’ve been in the industry for a long time,” said Tom McGregor, who helped Kearns Restaurant Group launch Ford’s Garage and then later helped Babcock Ranch develop its restaurants. “The goal was always to do my own place. The opportunity finally came to take the shot.”
The McGregors, as far as they know, are not related to Tootie McGregor Terry, the 1920s Lee County socialite for whom McGregor Boulevard is named. And while some may be confused that McGregor’s Public House is located off U.S. 41 and Daniels Parkway – and not McGregor Boulevard – the McGregors wanted their own name on their own bar.
“Everything is going to be made fresh by our kitchen team,” Tom McGregor said of when the menu gets going within about a month. “You know you’re in an Irish pub with the beer and the menu.”
For now, McGregor’s is open from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. weekdays, noon to 1 a.m. Saturdays and noon to 9 p.m. Sundays. Those hours will be extended to include weekday lunches in the future.
Tom McGregor said he was thrilled to bring a new Irish-themed restaurant and bar to an area that hasn’t had one in a while.
“It’s a lot more than just making it feel like an Irish bar by putting things on the walls,” Tom McGregor said. “We’re just happy to fill the gap here.”
