Owners Want to 'Bring the Charm Back' to Donovan's

Donovan's Pub in Woodside was saved from the brink of death last year when a longtime bartender and his brother-in-law bought the bar from owner Joe Donovan. The Times visits the pub and finds that the new owners have made some subtle improvements to the space without changing its character. New owner Jimmy Jacobson tells the paper: "We're just trying to bring the charm back."

Jacobson and his brother-in-law Dan Connor installed a computerized register and a credit card machine, and they brought back some of the star staff members that had left the bar. They also added a few new dishes to the menu, like crab cakes and Romanian steak. Connor and Jacobson might give the exterior a new coat of paint, but the plan is to keep all the cherished details of the barroom the way they are. For more on the history of the bar, check out Brooks of Sheffield's Who Goes There? piece from last year.
· Donovan's Pub, a Fixture in Queens, Gets New Owners [NYT]
· All Coverage of Donovan's Pub [~ENY~]