Sláinte! Beloved Irish Pub Tommy Sullivan's Celebrates Its 45th Year

BRANFORD, CT —Expect a fiáin cóisir! Saturday's celebration at Tommy Sullivan's Café will be one for the record books. The popular, and very authentic, Irish pub that features classic Irish dishes, is celebrating its 45th year in business.

With the New Haven County Firefighters Emerald Society Pipes and Drums band, Irish dancers from the Lenihan School of Irish Dance, and lots of food and drink specials —including the "back-in-the-day favorites," liverwurst and fried bologna sandwiches —the anniversary party starts at 4 p.m.

Patch chatted with Maeve Sullivan to learn a bit more about the pub's history, lore and how it's survived, indeed thrived, nearly a half century.

Patch: Talk a bit about Tommy Sullivan's history and the folks who are the backbone of the business.

Maeve: My dad opened Tommy Sullivan’s Café in July 1978 after trying to get a job on the railroad. He wasn’t hired because, during testing, it was discovered that he was colorblind. This led him to follow his lifelong dream of opening an Irish pub. He found a house to buy at 240 North Main Street. It had a rental apartment, dress shop and real estate office in it. Dennis McGowan lived in the back. The McGowan brothers restored antique cars across the street and came in every day for lunch. They were in a band called the Fabulous Farquhar and a huge part of Sullivan’s history. After opening, Beverly Faiella showed up looking for a job, my dad hired her, and she was with us until the day she died in 2008. She was a staple of the place and loved by so many, (including) all of our customers, who still talk about her to this day. She played a huge role in my life and set the tone for employees becoming family. I have a small group of amazing staff who have been with us since they were teenagers. Now they are buying houses, getting married, and having children. Some have moved on to become nurses or start other careers, but still remain at Sullivan’s part-time. Some have worked for me for over 20 years. We would not be what we are today without them.

Patch: Tommy Sullivan's is the quintessential Irish pub. Is it inspired by your family's Irish roots and history?

Maeve: The Sullivan’s came to the United States to escape “The Great Hunger” and settled in New Haven. They were blacksmiths by trade. Tommy’s grandfather John J. Sullivan graduated from Yale Law School and was a prominent judge in New Haven. My dad's great-great uncle Patrick Henahan, also from Westport, Co. Mayo, Ireland was falsely accused of attempting to blow up the British Parliament, arrested in London and sentenced to life prison without any proof.

He did 15 years and was released with the help from his supporters and Irish Fenians. He then came over to New Haven a hero, there was a parade in his honor, and lived there until he passed away in 1933. He was seen as a huge hero by many during this time.

Patrick’s brother Tommie Henahan ran a general store on Congress Avenue in New Haven. This is where’s my dad got his name-Thomas Patrick Sullivan after Tommie and Patrick.

Our Irish history runs deep and is extremely important to me. A few years ago, I started a tradition of lining Main Street in the center of Branford with Irish flags during the month of March to spread a little Irish cheer through town. I have so much passion for my heritage and my whole life revolves around it. It’s such a beautiful country. My goal is to bring a little glimpse of Ireland to Branford for all to see, and for those who won't have the chance to travel there to see it in person.

Patch: Talk about the authenticity of Tommy Sullivan's.

Maeve: It was always an Irish pub but looked and felt very different back then. Over 15 years ago, my brother Sean and I took a trip to Ireland. It was amazing to see all the pubs there and the beauty, decor and design of everything. I really wanted to bring my parents there and let them see first hand what I was describing. Since then, we have taken multiple trips back as a family, and we add new touches with every trip to the building and business to try to make it as authentically Irish as possible.

Patch: Talk about your dad as the pub's chef. Where did he learn to cook? And was it only Irish fare?

Maeve: From day one my dad was the cook, growing up in Momauguin in East Haven and in Branford, he learned how to cook amazing Italian food from visiting all of his Italian friends' homes when he was younger. He was the cook for over 20 years and was known for burgers and many other staples. My grandmother, Bea Sullivan, made the soup every day and sat by the door, greeting everyone who walked in. My mom, Maura, came to work at Sullivan’s as a bartender in the very beginning, and my parents married a few years later. She has just retired from teaching at Branford High School last year.

Patch: To what do you attribute your longevity? Forty-five years is nearly a half century!

Maeve: I attribute our longevity to our loyal customers and amazing staff who keep us going. We have customers who have been coming in since the week we opened, and now their children and grandchildren, and great-grandchildren are coming in. It’s breathtaking to see the different generations coming in throughout the years. And we also remember to honor all the souls who have passed on along the way.

Patch: Importantly, Tommy Sullivan's survived the COVID-19 pandemic, when some eateries were closing for good. How did you manage?

Maeve: We are honestly still trying to survive the pandemic. It was an extremely hard time that hit us on St. Patrick’s Day of all days, and it was devastating. We tried staying open but decided it wasn’t safe for our staff and us. We closed for two months and reopened in May, and just tried to figure things out as we went along. My brother Sean lived in Philly and came home to help when the pandemic hit and never left. Thank God for our small group of staff who worked day and night, wearing masks in the heat outside, and barely breathing. We were trying to do our best to make people happy, serving the Branford community and surrounding area, trying to stay afloat and provide some sense of normalcy to our customers. We are feeling the effects of the pandemic now more than ever now. Hiring new staff is impossible, we have had to raise our prices because the cost of everything is skyrocketing. We are constantly trying to stay above water. Customers don’t have the money to spend like they used to. It’s a struggle every day, but we are managing to survive with the help of staff, loyal customers and family.

Patch: Tell us about those loyal customers.

Maeve: We have so many loyal customers. I grew up eating beer nuts and drinking Shirley Temples as a young girl surrounded by “The Regulars” who really shaped me into what I am today. In the very beginning I’d sit with Billy Ryan of Jeanie Ryan’s Café, John Allen, Ken and Robby Shieffle, Ronnie “The Rat” Morgan, just to name a few. As the years went on I’d be listening to stories and jokes from Eddie Morrone, Kevin Costin and Freddie Hurley. The bar would be filled with cops and firemen, people of all trades, all walks of life, all gathered around my dad in “Hell’s Corner." It’s an amazing gathering place. We love our customers so much, and they mean the world to us.

Stop by Tommy Sullivan's Café on Saturday and party with the Sullivan family, celebrating 45 years in business. They're located at 240 North Main St., in Branford and can be reached at 203-488-8454.