You might remember Mary O'Halloran - aka Mary O - the Co Mayo woman who found viral fame at the height of the pandemic thanks to a feature on the massive social media account Humans of New York.
The Irish woman's aptly named Mary O's Irish Pub in New York City was, like so many others, forced to close in March 2020. In hopes of staying afloat, the Irish mother of six turned to making and selling her homemade scones.
Charging $18 for an order of scones, there wasn't much money in it for O'Halloran.
In August 2021, O'Halloran's story was featured on Humans of New York. While that was a huge plug on its own, the mastermind behind the account, Brandon Staunton, put together a special offer to help support O'Halloran - an order of scones and a limited-edition drawing from Mary's daughter Erinn for $30.
In a stunning update the day after sharing O'Halloran's story and the special scone offer, Humans of New York said that Mary O's has sold over $1,000,000 worth of soda bread scones in less than a day.
More than three years on, Humans of New York is back this week with another inspiring update from O'Halloran.
While Mary O's Irish Pub pulled through the pandemic thanks to the scone frenzy, the ten-year lease on the property is up next year. With rising rents, it almost certainly marks the end of Mary O's Irish Pub.
"But Mary had a crazy idea," Humans of New York said in its update on December 17.
"She was going to rent ANOTHER store, for the sole purpose of selling scones."
Staunton admits "shamefully" that he told her not to open a scone shop.
"Mary is a giant in the Heart Department, and a giant in the Faith Department, but she is a bit deficient in the Accounting Department," he captioned his post.
He told her to focus on selling online and warned about the stress of paying rent on two storefronts in NYC.
"But thank God Mary does not listen to anyone," Staunton said.
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O'Halloran opened the equally aptly named Mary O's Irish Soda Bread Shop at 93 East 7th Street about a month ago, less than a ten-minute walk from her pub.
The shop serves up freshly made scones, dolloped with a slab of Kerrygold butter and O'Halloran's homemade jam. It's $6 for one scone or $30 for a half dozen or a loaf.
The reviews have been glowing - Mary O's Irish Soda Bread Shop already boasts a 4.9-star review on Google.
"These scones are delicious: moist, raisin-y, and slightly sweet, with a notable crunch," Robert Sietsema wrote in his review for Eater.
"The scones come with Mary’s homemade blackberry jam and a quantity of full-cream Irish butter.
"And they’ve made the East Village — not Irish neighborhoods like Woodside or Woodlawn Heights — the Irish soda bread capital of New York City."
Molly Fitzpatrick, writing for Infatuation, raved: "The lightly sweet, raisin-studded scones are crunchy and craggy on the outside, fluffy and moist inside.
"It’s like eating a hug."
The scones also received rave reviews from @sistersnacking, who told their hundreds of thousands of followers: "We’re obsessed!!!"
@sistersnacking Mary O’s has the best scones in NYC #sistersnacking #nyc #newyorkcity #nycfood ♬ Soak Up The Sun - Sheryl Crow
"I’ve never seen anything like it," Staunton said in his update on Tuesday.
"Every day, the line is further out the door.
"Mary O’s Irish Soda Bread shop is taking the city by storm. No marketing. No business plan. Just the perfect scone, and a hardworking mother-of-six that everyone seems to love."
Staunton encouraged his millions of followers to "fan the flames of this wildfire" by visiting the shop, spreading the word, and sharing reviews about Mary O's scones.
"Long live Mary O’s Irish Soda Bread Scone Shop!" Staunton added.
"Long live Mary O’s Irish Pub!
"And long live Mary O!"
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