A longtime Irish pub in Sandy Springs is about to undergo some major changes.
Meehan's Sandy Springs, which opened at 227 Sandy Springs Place in 2004, announced on its Facebook page that it will change owners, name and brand.
It's with bittersweet emotion that we announce to you all that the Sandy Springs location of Meehan's has been sold to a new ownership group and over the course of the next several weeks the pub will undergo some changes as it takes on a new name and brand. The location will continue to operate as an Irish pub, and we will be happy to share specific details of all the exciting changes as we assist the new ownership group with this ownership transition. We are extremely thankful that the new ownership group will be retaining all of the existing employees, so as you continue to patronage and support the pub, many of the faces will remain the same.
We would like to thank our employees for their dedicated service and loyalty, and their willingness to subscribe to our ideals of hospitality over the past 15 years, and share these values with you on a daily basis. We would also like to take a moment and thank you; literally the thousands of you who supported us and enabled our Meehan's in Sandy Springs to take shape and grow for over 15 years.
In a few weeks, the pub will transition to Thos. O’Reilly’s Public House, named for a Catholic priest in Atlanta during the Civil War who protested Sherman’s burning of churches and homes.
Owner Butch Elmgren, who has worked for more than 20 years in the hospitality and beverage industry, said Meehan’s will close Feb. 3 to do some minor work on the interior before reopening, hopefully by mid-February.
He said Meehan’s regulars won’t notice many significant changes. The menu will largely remain the same, with the addition of some entrees including a ribeye and a new chicken dish, and the beverage selection will feature more whiskeys and local beers.
“We’re basically kick starting what’s already a great pub,” Elmgren said.
Meehan’s is part of the 101 Concepts restaurant group, which has undergone several changes over the past two years.
A Meehan's location in Buckhead closed in 2018 and an Atlantic Station location closed last year. In early 2019, 101 Concepts closed Food 101 and sold Cibo e Beve in Sandy Springs. At the end of 2019, the restaurant group closed its Castleberry Hill barbecue restaurant Smoke Ring.
Meehan’s locations in downtown Atlanta and Vinings remain open, as well as 101 Steak in Vinings.
101 Concepts marketing director Ron Eyester said while selling Meehan’s Sandy Springs was bittersweet, it was the next logical move for a restaurant group that’s becoming more streamlined and trying to focus on its most profitable ventures.
“It was a good opportunity for both parties,” Eyester said. “Sometimes you can be trucking along and putting out a consistent-quality product, and all of a sudden you look up and it’s been 14 years. This gives us an opportunity to explore other options within the restaurant business.”
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