There is an Irish saying that goes, “May your troubles be less and your blessings be more and nothing but happiness come through your door.” Many local residents have been happy upon entering the door of the Strandhill Public, a new Irish pub that recently joined the Brandon community.
“I wanted to combine a connection to home, Strandhill, with public which for me stands for public house and public house is the origin for pub,” said Strandhill Public owner Rory Martin.
Martin grew up in County Sligo, Northwest Ireland. His parents owned a pub and the family lived above it. Martin spent his teenage years surfing the cold Atlantic waves at the beach in Strandhill, Ireland and named his pub after his favorite surfing spot.
“My dad taught me how to pour a perfect pint of Guinness when I was 12 years old,” Martin said. “I opened my first bar in New York in 2010 called Blue Haven.”
Martin said, “I have since opened three more, Blue Haven East, My Friend Duke and now Strandhill Public. I was also hired by The Wilson Company to open and operate CW’s Gin Joint in Downtown Tampa.”
Strandhill Pubic is a modern Irish pub celebrating traditional Irish culture.
“The color scheme is warm and inviting, while the space is light, bright and airy,” Martin said. “The photos are originals from Ireland, the quality of food is stellar and the beverage program has been carefully curated. I have designed and built our draught beer system around Guinness.”
Martin will be opening a second Strandhill Public in Tampa in the upcoming months, but right now, he is focusing the Brandon location because Martin, his wife Jennifer and their two young sons, Finely and Cillian, call the Brandon community home.
“There is a great community spirit in Brandon and I wanted to add to that with something authentic and unique,” Martin said. “I want Strandhill Public to become a staple for many years in the Brandon community.”
If you’d like to learn more about Strandhilll Public and see all the delicious, authentic Irish food it has to offer, visit www.strandhillpublic.com or call Martin at 442-7080.
Strandhill Public is located at 10288 Causeway Blvd. in Brandon just past Falkenburg Rd. Hours of operation are Monday-Wednesday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Thursday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m.; and Sundays, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
