Queens Stalwart Donovan’s Pub Receives $45K in GoFundMe Donations in Less Than a Week

Longstanding Woodside bar Donovan’s Pub sees influx of cash from GoFundMe campaign

A GoFundMe campaign to help support celebrated Irish stalwart Donovan’s Pub in Woodside during the pandemic has exploded with interest in the city, LIC Post reports. The campaign — launched by a customer concerned about the pub’s survival — quickly raised $30,000 in just three days, according to the report. Now, five days after launch, the campaign has hit $45,000 with over 400 donors, far surpassing its former stated goal of $40,000, and is now aiming to raise $50,000 for the storied pub.

A customer set up the fundraiser on January 14 after seeing a video that the pub’s co-owner Dan Connor had filmed explaining that the 55-year-old establishment was in trouble and needed financial support. Connor filmed the video in order to apply for the Barstool Fund, a small business support fund launched by controversial Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy. The customer decided to go ahead and launch the fundraiser while Connor was waiting to hear back about the application to the fund.

Connor plans to use the GoFundMe donations to help pay staff wages first, and then rent, according to the report. The pub, which has been praised over the years for selling one of the best burgers in the city, has been operating with delivery and takeout only during the winter months due to limited space for outdoor seating.

In other news

— Donovan’s isn’t the only struggling restaurant raising thousands of dollars through GoFundMe to make it through the winter. A fundraiser for acclaimed Brooklyn restaurant Purple Yam has raised over $23,000 on GoFundMe in one day, after the restaurant announced that it would close indefinitely due in part to the ongoing ban on indoor dining.

— NYC’s Department of Transportation has rescinded outdoor dining permits for several restaurants, including Japanese spot Yopparai Ronin, on Clinton Street in the Lower East Side. The permits were withdrawn in order to make way for construction for a private development on the block, according to a post on Yopparai Ronin’s Instagram account.

— Il Buco Alimentari in Noho is selling some of beverage director David Giuliano’s favorite American wines for $46 apiece starting today in celebration of Inauguration Day this week.

— Ghost Bar, an online-only cocktail bar based in Midtown from the team behind MáLà Project, is now open for business, according to a restaurant spokesperson. Bottled cocktails including Old Fashioneds, negronis, daiquiris, and more, are all available for delivery, starting at $12 apiece. The delivery range is limited for now, stretching only from 20th to 60th Street in Manhattan, but the team plans to expand to all of Manhattan and more boroughs in the coming months.

— Brooklyn wine bar Lalou is offering special menus for Valentine’s Day that include poached lobster and game bird pie for brunch; and escargot, lobster tail, and a cote de boeuf for two for dinner, according to restaurant partner Ilyssa Satter. The restaurant offers heated and covered outdoor dining on the street and in a garden on the property. Reservations are open on Resy; the restaurant will also be accepting walk-ins.

— Lunch goals: