Fitzgerald’s, the sports bar that closed abruptly in December, has been taken over by a different owner who plans to bring new life back into the bar.
The new owner is Billy Whelan, who also owns Old Pequliar on NW Market St. He took over the space at 5811 24th Ave NW earlier this week, and plans to spend the next two months revamping it into another sports bar, but with an Irish twist.
Whelan tells My Ballard that he plans to do a deep clean and renovation — there will be new flooring, a new bar, and spotless kitchen after they’ve finished.
“I’d been looking for a place to open a new bar, and the timing was right,” Whelan said, adding that it helps that it’s just half a mile away from Old Pequliar. Business is going great at Old Pequliar — “no reason we can’t do it again,” he says.
Whelan says to expect trivia and sports nights at the yet-to-be-named bar. One thing is certain — Whelan says they’ll bring back the wings that Fitzgerald’s was known for.
The new bar should be open sometime this spring — we’ll check back with updated info when we learn more.