McDaids Irish Restaurant and Pub closed its doors Jan. 1, much to the surprise of NC State students and employees.

McDaids, located on Hillsborough Street, opened in 2013, taking the place of the Porter’s City Tavern that was previously located in the same building.

“I was told the Tuesday before it closed,” said Devan Wachter, the bar manager and head bartender at McDaids. “It closed the following Friday. Most of the staff was told on Friday.”

According to Wachter, the costs of the building and equipment may have played a part in the restaurant’s closing.

“The building and equipment was old, and some of it had to be replaced,” Wachter said. “Eventually it got to be more to fix than the restaurant was making back.”

Students expressed their disappointment with the bar closing, some saying Hillsborough Street needed more places like McDaids.

“I am disappointed,” said Remington Campbell, a senior studying computer science. “It’s another bar on Hillsborough that got shut down. Hillsborough was lively when I was a freshman, and now it feels like the nightlife is dwindling on Hillsborough compared to what it was like back then.”

Local business owners were also affected by the closure.  Nash Patton, co-owner of Groucho’s Deli, was also saddened by the sudden closure. Groucho’s is located at the intersection of Horne Street and Hillsborough Street, the same block that McDaids was on.

“It is a sad moment for the street,” Patton said. “It was a college student’s go-to spot, which we need more of on the street. It was run by good people doing great things.” 

Nash was friends with Tyler Mills, the owner of McDaids. According to Patton, owning a business on Hillsborough Street does not come without its challenges.

“Parking is a huge issue,” Patton said. “Rent is high for many reasons. City funds are being pushed elsewhere and not on the street. [Mills] is a hard worker who did a great job. It is a very difficult street to make a living on.”

McDaids also served as a place for students to go eat food, have drinks and socialize.

“I went there one night; it was in October, but I ended up running into my good friend who I met while studying abroad in Germany,” said Taylor Thompson, a senior studying economics. “Luckily he is studying at NC State now so I was able to see him. The place was pretty nice; there were a lot of seats there, too many seats. It was a nice Irish pub with cool, dim lighting.”

Employees at McDaids said they also shared memories. Wachter said his favorite memory was when a couple came in for its anniversary, and he became acquainted with them. The couple started coming back once a month.

“We had great management and a close-knit team,” Wachter said. “We were like family. There were always new people and faces coming through the door”

The closing of McDaids will be felt by students and locals alike.

“I am saddened by it,” Thompson said.  “We need a good student bar with drinks.”

The Technician has reached out to Mills for a comment but has yet to hear back.