OLD TOWN, Maine — Several Dubay family members were working Monday inside the new Off The Wagon Pub alongside a half-dozen local craftsmen, painting trim, completing the bathrooms, finishing the new back deck and getting ready to install the granite-topped bar.
James Dubay, 27, who owns Appearance Plus Car Wash on Stillwater Avenue, and his brother, Derek Dubay, 24, who was at work at the Bangor Napa Auto Parts store on Monday, will run the bar at 18 Water St., which is the former location of the Riverside Pub that closed in mid-May. The brothers hope to be open for business on Oct. 1.
“My mother [Lori] came up with the name,” James Dubay said, standing in the bar area, while his mom painted trim in the office. “We’re going to have a sports-themed bar with six TVs and Sunday NFL Ticket. Right now there is no real sports bar in the Old Town area, per se.”
The plan is for the brothers to keep their regular jobs, and for the bar to be open 4 p.m.-midnight Sunday through Thursday, and 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
“Sundays during football season we’re going to open at noon,” James Dubay said.
Bar food including steamed hot dogs and appetizers will be served in the pub, which features a pool table and two video games, one that simulates buck hunting and one for golf.
“We had a great run there and I’m happy to see the space reopen,” Christopher Trudel, Riverside Pub owner, said Saturday in a text message.
Trudel, who now owns Cool Tool Shed Woodworking, said he has a lot of memories from the pub he opened with Warren Morgan.
“We made lots of friendships and memories at the pub and I’m excited to see the new layout,” he said. “I definitely want to wish Jimmy, James and Derek the best of luck and success on this new chapter for the building.”
Jim Dubay, the brothers’ father, purchased the building 25 year ago.
“It was a vacant building [at that time],” said Jim Dubay, who owns the Napa Auto Parts store located just two doors down on Water Street. “Before that it was an old Mexican restaurant, then it was Muzzy’s Place.”
Muzzy’s Place opened in 1997, replacing the former Mexican Flair restaurant. Kamikaze’s bar opened for a short time after Muzzy’s and the Riverfront Pub opened in 2000.
“They’ve totally remodeled the entire inside, the floors, walls, everything,” David Russell, Old Town code enforcement officer, said Friday. “They put a brand new deck on it. It’s going to be a nice place.”
The city council issued the city liquor license last week, contingent on the brothers obtaining an occupancy permit and state licensing, the code officer said.
Whenever possible the Dubays hired or purchased locally for the renovations.
“All the lumber came from Crescent Lumber in Old Town, Morin Electric ran the wiring, Art Landry did the plumbing, Domestic Air of Bangor put in the heat pump and Kevin Pattershall did the tile work,” Jim Dubay said. “Stone Masters of Bangor did the granite bar top.”
All the workers are family or friends, he said.
The pub owners are also looking for employees.
“We’re looking for four or five bartenders, and a person to check IDs at the door,” James Dubay said. “People can call me or stop by the car wash for an application.”
Those interested in applying for a job can call James Dubay at 249-5423.