It’s been a long year for Eileen Carrigan.
Last December, she began the process of moving her Irish pub, Shebeen, from Siesta Key’s Crescent Plaza to the former Sarasota Brewing Company building in Gulf Gate. She initially hoped to reopen at the new location early in 2026.
“I’ve learned that things take a lot longer than you think,” she said with a laugh. “If I were to talk to the me from a year ago, I would tell myself there’s no way I would be open in March, as I had hoped.”
Now, the reopening is finally in sight. After a soft opening in late August, Carrigan plans to officially debut the new Shebeen with the pub’s annual “Halfway to St. Paddy’s Day” party Sept. 17.
Fans of Sarasota Brewing Company will see a familiar layout, albeit with added Irish flair, including a fresh coat of blue paint on the exterior, a traditional color for pubs in Ireland. The building also needed plenty of repair work.
“I can’t do anything simply. I picked a vintage building that needed a lot of TLC. And I’m partial to that. I really love doing restoration projects. This building was definitely worth saving,” she said. “I really wanted to maintain the character of the building, but that’s more difficult than just tearing everything down and starting over. I worked really hard to maintain as much as I could.”
The overall footprint of the space remains. Carrigan was able to save the original bar, including its heavy wooden base, copper top and dark wood bar back. She “spruced up” the back dining room, which will seat 120, and added Irish décor, much of which was also on display at the previous location.
In fact, despite the increase in overall square footage, the new location has less wall space to hang Shebeen’s extensive collection of whiskey signs, flags, wooden barrel tops, soccer jerseys and other themed artifacts.
Carrigan has a few items she’ll prioritize for the new décor.
“My customers all have family crests,” she said. “I have 30 or 35 families represented on these wooden plaques. That will be the first thing that I put in.”
Perhaps the biggest change involved converting the location’s second bar, set in the middle of the dining room, into a stage for live music acts. Music was a regular feature at the Siesta Key location, though musicians had to squeeze into a small area to avoid sacrificing too many seats.
Carrigan has maintained relationships with many of the musicians she’s worked with in the past, including traditional Irish acts, and now they’ll take center stage. The grand reopening party will include live music throughout the day, starting at 11 a.m.
Carrigan has also been able to expand the pub’s menu, though longtime Shebeen patrons will still see favorites such as house-made fish and chips. The larger kitchen provides room for other traditional dishes, including shepherd’s pie, Guinness stew and Dublin coddle.
In addition to a full bar, 12 beer taps will allow patrons to choose from traditional selections such as Guinness, Harp and Smithwick’s, along with ciders and some domestic choices.
Carrigan said the warm welcome from the Gulf Gate community has continued throughout the lengthy renovation process.
“It’s been delightful. I have been kind of a pain-in-the-neck neighbor. Any time you have construction going on near you, that’s just not fun,” she said. “That community is very, very interested in having a successful destination for people — not just tourists and visitors, but local people.”
