Not so lucky: Fenwick's Claddagh leaves the Shore
Come St. Patrick's Day, there will be one bar missing from the usual lineup.
Claddagh on the Shore, an Irish-style pub with flat screen TV's and a hand-carved, wraparound bar, recently closed its doors.
Vivian Clarke, who co-owned the restaurant with her husband Dennis, said several factors led to the decision.
"It was mainly because of the distance," she said.
The couple opened the Fenwick Island location in 2014, following nearly two decades of success from their flagship location in Baltimore. Now well into their 70s, Clarke said it was, "becoming too difficult to run a tight ship with a three-hour commute."
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Megan Paine, an Ocean City resident, was disappointed to hear the news.
"Claddagh on the Shore was a special place to go and the food was great," she said.
Much like the original Baltimore location, the menu at the beach extended well beyond typical pub fare, with entree choices like grilled filet mignon, fresh fish tacos and corned beef and cabbage.
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Although the decision to close came as a shock to some, others were not surprised.
Kelsey Whiteley, a former employee, said, "they worked their staff to death and it was always pretty slow."
When the official decision to close was made, all of the employees were given an option to continue working for the company in Baltimore, which many agreed to. Clarke said the couple intends to open a second location in the city, closer to the original restaurant, by the end of the year.
This will be updated.
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