40 years later, Granfalloons Tavern is still a neighborhood pub — with a few new digs

York Daily Record

For Dylan Bauer, Granfalloons Tavern was his spot to sit back, relax and enjoy York — all of it.

"You see everyone [here], from the unemployed to doctors," he said.

It's a fitting notion considering Granfalloons means a gathering of people who share a common bond or identity, albeit the connections among them all are meaningless. Not unlike the chatter between strangers at the bar.

It was that communal sense he fell in love with. Anyone who has sat long enough at Granfalloons with a pint has witnessed the eclectic crowd shuffle in and out of the tavern's doors.

It is never just one type of person who visits Granfalloons, but Granfalloons is very much York's type.

"I didn't know who was going to buy it," he said. "If it changed, it would be a total shame."

The remodeled bar on the second floor of Granfalloons Tavern at 41 E. Princess St. in downtown York. Granfalloons has been closed for renovations and held its grand re-opening on Friday, August 7, 2020.

That change, that detour from a neighborhood watering hole, is exactly what Bauer wanted to avoid. So he and Josh Hankey purchased the property last year.

The goal was simple. Keep the entire staff, most of whom have been there for years, give the bar a few upgrades and ensure Granfalloons retained its identity.

"You have 21-year-olds sitting with 80-year-olds," manager Dirk Markel said.

Markel, who has been working at Granfalloons for about 12 years, noted that it is unlike other bars in York. There's a community here. Whether it's the nostalgic notion you're one of the few who can recall when members of the band Live worked in the kitchen or you — like Merkel — gravitated toward the welcoming atmosphere inside many moons ago.

"It's a neighborhood bar, you usually know two or three people. Or you can come by yourself and not feel intimidated or alone," he said.

Regulars will notice not much has changed. The bones of Granfalloons are very much still there, just a few modern cosmetic renovations helping file some of the bar's rougher edges.

The newly remodeled bar on the first floor of Granfalloons Tavern at 41 E. Princess St. in downtown York. Granfalloons has been closed for renovations and held its grand re-opening on Friday, August 7, 2020.

The gaming kiosks at the main bar are gone. The upstairs and downstairs bars have been refurbished. A new logo is plastered on the main entrance.

But the most notable change — and a welcome addition amid COVID restrictions — is the outdoor patio space.

The 250-person outdoor seating area (pre-COVID restrictions) features a grassy area, two extra satellite bars and dozens of picnic table and wooden recliners. Once the pandemic passes, Bauer plans to use the area to host cornhole tournaments, crab bakes and live entertainment.

"(Renovations) wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for COVID," Bauer said. "Grateful to clean and modernize it, but keep its heart."

Bauer was hoping to reopen Granfalloons on its 40th anniversary in June,but the pandemic delayed the restaurant's grand reopening until Friday, Aug. 7.

While COVID restrictions are in place, guests can expect an emphasis on outdoor seating and limited indoor service. The kitchen will be open with a limited dinner menu. The bar will not be offering draft beer due to supply chain and service limitations. With the current mandates on indoor service, customers will have a difficult time taking a beer outside even to smoke a cigarette, Bauer said.

The alternative solution is a lot more canned beverages — an alternative that already has a Granfalloons-like novelty to it as the team has a can "crusher" hung up above a recycling bin on the bar's second floor. Finish a can of Natty Bo, crush the can.

"We didn't want to lose the charm that is Granfalloons," he said.

Granfalloons Tavern is at 41 E. Princess St. in downtown York. Hours of operation are 4 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 4 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Neil Strebig is a journalist for the York Daily Record and curator for the York on the Move newsletter. He can be reached at nstrebig@ydr.com, 717-825-6582 or via Twitter @neilStrebig.

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