Co Mayo native John Chambers, 59, was inspired to create the traveling 'Park a Pub' after seeing similar ones online.
A former carpenter, Chambers designed and built the mobile pub in six months last year and now rents it around Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey.
Aptly named “The Cottage,” Park a Pub's first mobile pub was modeled after the cottages you would find in Ireland many years ago.
The charming structure looks like a traditional Irish cottage on the outside but features a cozy Irish pub on the inside.
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Chambers recently discussed his Park a Pub with the Inquirer.
“I stop at Wawas (a convenience store) and people come over and say ‘Can I come see the inside?’ and they get blown away.
“I got three or four renters from just getting gas at Wawa.”
The four-ton, 18-foot-long-by-8.6-foot-wide pub is available to rent and seats 12 to 15 people.
Inside, the pub has a wooden bar with three stools and two taps (including one for Guinness), a snug, electric fireplace, and a TV that can play either scenic YouTube videos of Ireland or sports.
A St. Brigid’s Cross and a “céad míle fáilte” sign hang on the walls, as well as a photograph of Burrishoole Abbey, where Chambers’ father and grandfather are buried in Co Mayo.
Though cozy, there's plenty of room for some serious craic, as evidenced by these Irish music performances during the Havertown Irish Festival over the summer:
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Chambers runs the pub with his wife Maureen, 57, and their children Caitlin, 32, and Sean, 29.
The family transports the pub on their modified tiny home trailer. They provide the decorations and glassware, but customers have to buy their own kegs and alcohol.
Since the pub was first rented on Thanksgiving Eve last year, it's been used for everything from weddings to birthdays.
“The best part is when you go back the next day to pick it up, everyone is happy and tells you the story of the night before,” said Maureen Chambers. “It makes it worthwhile.”
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Chambers said his next project is making a mobile Philly sports bar.
“The people that rent this are Irish or of Irish descent or they’ve been in Ireland and they love Ireland, but I think there’s a market for some people that maybe have nothing to do with Ireland,” he said.
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