Meehan’s Owners to Open Wheelhouse Craft Pub and Kitchen in Decatur

'Community pub' will open in space formerly occupied by Maddy's.

Caleb J. Spivak Editor-in-Chief

Decatur will soon be home to Wheelhouse Craft Pub and Kitchen.

Ian Macken, a partner at Meehan’s Public House, alongside his wife Kathryn, recently received the necessary permitting from DeKalb County to buildout Wheelhouse, at 1479 Scott Blvd.

Other partners include Ian’s brother Robert Macken and his wife Stefanie Oughton, as well as Paudie Long, all of whom have Meehan’s and/or Fado Irish Pub “lineage.”

Neither Meehan’s or Fado are associated with Wheelhouse, however.

“We just received our permits today,” the forthcoming restaurant published to its Facebook page at the end of August.

“Let the building commence!”

An opening is slated for January 2020, Ian Macken in an email told What Now Atlanta (WNA) Thursday.

“We are very much looking forward to serving the community,” Macken said.

The craft pub and kitchen will open in space formerly occupied by Maddy’s Rib Joint which closed its doors in 2011.

Shortly following the shutter of Maddy’s, rumors ran amok that both Fox Bros. BBQ and Meehan’s were looking at opening restaurants in the long-since vacant space.

Fox Bros. announced its intentions via an official press release, but the restaurant never opened.

Wheelhouse has been in the works for quite some time. The Mackens first reserved the name with the Georgia Secretary of State in mid-2017.

There is a website and Facebook page for the restaurant but details are scarce.

While the Mackens did not respond to What Now Atlanta’s request for comment, Kathryn mentioned on Facebook that in addition to beer, “with a couple of Irish owners behind the bar, we plan to offer a variety of spirits.”

{Editor’s note: this article was updated following additional comments provided to WNA by Ian Macken.}

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Editor-in-Chief
Caleb J. Spivak is the Founder and CEO of What Now Media Group.
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