Murphy’s offers new start for business owners

Published 10:27 am Monday, May 3, 2010

With a new location and name, Angie Murphy is hoping her business has a new atmosphere and reputation as well.

Murphy and her son Eric, who owned the bar Illusions, have recently opened Murphy’s Bar and Grill.

“It’s a lot nicer (than Illusions),” Murphy said. “We have a lot more room.”

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“I think people should just come and look around and give us a chance.”

The bar, located at 1810 S. Third St. building had set empty for about 10 years before the Murphys opened the business. Before that, it was the location of Ole Menagerie.

The bar’s location draws many people who remember the Ole Menagerie and are curious about what it looks like now.

“We’ve had people in their late 60s,” Krista Dailey, bartender, said. “They’ve come in to see because they missed it. When you get into the older crowd you don’t have as many problems.

“People stigmatized Illusions because of a few people. If it wasn’t a good business it wouldn’t have lasted 10 years. This has been a good business. It brought people in and it continues to.”

Murphy says the bar draws a crowd ranging in ages from 22 to 70 years old.

“It’s really been good,” she said. “We’ve had a lot of the businessmen from town.”

The bar is open six days a week. Because of its residential location, Murphy thought it best not to be open on Sundays. Sometimes the music from the building carries and she does not want to cause a disturbance, she said.

“We’re going to work on that and we’re not going to interrupt their Sundays,” she said. “We try to turn (the music) down as low as we can.”

Murphy plans to start serving appetizers soon. She also hopes to have corn hole and pool tournaments.

“We’re striving to have a place where everyone feels welcome and everyone gets along,” Murphy said. “We try our best to know your name when you come in.”