Gene McCarthy's

What Gene McCarthy's does

Gene McCarthy's is a single-location Irish pub and restaurant operating at 73 Hamburg Street in Buffalo's Old First Ward neighborhood, founded by current owners Bill Metzger and Matt Conron in 2011. The business combines a traditional dine-in and takeout restaurant with an on-site craft brewery, Old First Ward Brewing Company (OFW Brewing Co.), which was established in 2014 using a brewing system acquired from The Three Needs brewpub in Burlington, Vermont. The kitchen serves American pub fare (wings, fish fry, sandwiches) alongside a bar program that averages nine house-brewed beers on tap daily, with direct tap lines running from the brewery to the glass to maximize freshness.

The brewing operation, managed by Matt Conron with brewer Bryan Kirchmyer, employs traditional German-style methods including extended lager conditioning (6-12 weeks), multiple hop additions, and management of 4-6 yeast strains. The portfolio spans approximately 40 recipes across styles including American pale ales, hefeweizens, kölsch, kellerbiers, märzens, red ales, and rotating specialty IPAs, plus a charitable Cotter Red Ale with $1-per-pint donations to the Edward M. Cotter fireboat restoration fund. A seasonal outdoor beer garden extends on-premise capacity in warmer months, and a recurring events program (Saturday Night Live Music, Trivia Tuesdays, Firkin Fridays, jazz nights) drives community engagement.

The business model is entirely on-premise and takeout-driven: dine-in service with no reservations, takeout food orders, growler fills (32oz/64oz), wine by the glass ($5.00), and standard domestic bottles ($3.25-$3.50), with no wholesale distribution, no delivery partnerships, and no e-commerce for beer. The customer base is local Buffalo residents and craft-beer enthusiasts, and the company operates with approximately five employees. Revenue is not disclosed.

Name

Gene McCarthy's

Legal name

Gene McCarthy's

Website

https://genemccarthys.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Gene McCarthy's is a single-location Irish pub and restaurant in Buffalo's Old First Ward, operating an on-site craft brewery (Old First Ward Brewing Co., est. 2014) that serves approximately nine house-brewed beers daily via direct tap lines to local patrons for dine-in, takeout, and growler sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (72241), Breweries (31212)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Malt Beverages (2082)

akta.pro primary industry

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG), Pubs & Gastropubs (CRANACAB), Bars & Pubs (Non-Music) (MPAGAIAC)

Keywords

• Craft beer brewing
• Brewpub restaurant
• Irish pub dining
• American pub fare
• On-site brewery

Headquarters

HQ city

Buffalo, New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. On-site Food & Beverage Sales: Revenue from dine-in service, takeout food orders, draft beer, bottled beverages, wine, and growler refills. Kitchen serves American pub fare including wings, fish fry, and sandwiches.
2. Cotter Red Ale Donation Program: $1 from each Cotter Red Ale pint sold is donated toward the restoration and upkeep of the Edward M. Cotter fireboat, creating community goodwill while generating revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Gene McCarthy's is a single-location Irish pub and restaurant in Buffalo, NY featuring an on-site craft brewery (Old First Ward Brewing Company) that was established in 2014. The business serves American pub fare (wings, fish fry, sandwiches) alongside approximately 9 rotating house-brewed craft beers on tap daily, with taps running directly from the brewery to the glass. The offering is rounded out by a seasonal outdoor beer garden, regular live music and trivia events, growler fills, and a gift shop.

Product overview

Gene McCarthy's is a single-location Irish pub and restaurant in Buffalo, NY, featuring the Old First Ward Brewing Company (OFW Brewing Co.) as its on-site brewery established in 2014. The core offering combines the bar/restaurant experience with fresh house-brewed beers, with taps running directly from the brewery to the glass. The product portfolio includes approximately 9 rotating house beers on tap including year-round offerings like NOTA Pale Ale (house favorite), Crikrat Kolsch, Red Clover, and seasonal/rotating specialties like Heisenberg Imperial, Razzputin, and OFEST! Oktoberfest. The business also operates a seasonal outdoor beer garden, hosts regular events including trivia, live music, and jazz nights, and offers a full food menu plus growler fills and a gift shop.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments1 record

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Edward M. Cotter Fireboat Restoration FundminorOthers · 1 January 2014The Cotter Red Ale is a special beer honoring the historic Edward M. Cotter fireboat. For every pint sold, $1 is donated toward the restoration and upkeep of the fireboat. This is a charitable cause marketing partnership rather than a commercial business partnership.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Direct peers

• Resurgence Brewing Company: Buffalo craft brewery with taproom and food, located near the Old First Ward neighborhood. Comparable brewpub model serving similar local clientele.
• Big Ditch Brewing Company: Buffalo craft brewery operating a taproom with on-site food service. Directly competes for the same neighborhood craft beer drinker in Buffalo.
• Thin Man Brewery: Buffalo-based craft brewery with on-site taproom and food service. Direct competitor for local craft beer enthusiasts in the same metro.
• Community Beer Works: Buffalo-based craft brewery with a taproom that serves its own beer alongside food. Closest comparable: same city, similar brewpub-style model, comparable scale.
• Five Points Brewing: Regional craft brewery with a tasting room and pub-style service model, comparable to a small neighborhood brewpub with on-site brewed beer.

Broad incumbents

• BJ's Restaurant Brewhouse: National chain combining on-site brewing with full-service dining. Represents the scaled, multi-location version of the brewpub concept Gene McCarthy's operates.
• Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant: National brewpub chain brewing on-site German-style lagers and serving full food menus. Closest large-format analogue of Gene McCarthy's brewpub model.
• Southern Tier Brewing Company: Larger New York craft brewery with a taproom and broader regional distribution. Comparable craft beer producer with on-premise service, but at a much larger scale than Gene McCarthy's.

Others

• The Three Needs Brewery & Pub: Vermont brewpub from which Gene McCarthy's founders purchased their original brewing system in 2012. Operates the same brewpub format and is a historical/adjacent reference for the business model.
• Breckenridge Brewing: Colorado craft brewery where co-owner Matt Conron previously served as head brewer. Relevant because it informed the brewing approach at Gene McCarthy's and represents a larger reference point for the same craft style.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wix
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gene-mccarthy's

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gene McCarthy's