By Chad Neal
One of the most iconic buildings in Ellicottville is the long, two-story building on the corner of Washington Street and Marshall Alley. Madigan’s has been an institution for over four decades. Often called the “coolest bar” in town, Madigan’s is known esoterically for their lunches, and as their brand never really changes the owners have been refurbishing the building every year. Kevin and Grace Kell started the Madigan’s kingdom and now their sons, Shane and Connor Kell, are taking it to new places and levels, by taking the successful business objective and always investing in their interests. You may have noticed the construction on the front of the building as they are again reinvesting in the legendary establishment.
Madigan’s hired Apex Construction Co. and they are putting a covered patio over the sidewalk in front of the building. Much like the neighboring Tips-Up, the new addition will have windows on every side and will be a great way to enjoy oneself at the hotspot, whether dancing on a Saturday night or enjoying the view during a happy hour in the air-conditioned setting. Madigan’s has been renovating every Spring to make the building more accommodating and comfortable for all who come to enjoy themselves there. They have installed air conditioning in the past to keep the dance floor cooler in the summer and now with the renovations in the front of the upstairs bar a new DJ booth and dance floor will make it unrecognizable at first. It will definitely make Washington Street look new.
The building first built in the mid 1800’s as a school house has some timbers in it that still hold the building in place. Madigan’s has gone through many changes since the building was erected, from school house, to a tin smith shop with remnants of the tin in the crawl space below, to a harness shop which transitioned later to a restaurant called The Harness Shop, among some others and in 1981the edifice became Madigan’s. There used to be a limited patio on the front of the building several decades ago, so the idea is not new to the building and that part of town. The plans have been in place over a year and the idea has been thrown around for years as well. Not only is there new construction, but also remodeling the inside, too, as time causes degradation. To keep up with it, the kitchen has been refurbished as well.
Businesses were located there since the old school and the upstairs housed the owners or tenants. Since the Kells have owned it these past 41 and 1/2 years, they kept making the place higher quality and with the popularity of Ellicottville growing as it has, they have matched the demand for the changes in town with their growth and evolution. Changing the restaurant into more of a bar that serves food and making the upstairs another bar within the bar, and then building a back patio for summer enjoyment, and expanding it to increase the amount of folks who want to enjoy it, Madigan’s keeps getting better and better. There are many things that go unnoticed as well – until one takes a closer look. The bathrooms were redesigned a few years back and folks who haven’t been there in that time are really impressed still. Madigan’s may seem like a dive bar and it literally is in the sense of the phrase, but it is a classy dive bar to say the least.
The staff has seen its changes although there are some staple servers who have become family and are expected by patrons to be there to pour their usual libation and shots for all. The reinforcement and renovations keep Madigan’s the celebrated place of enjoyment for locals and visitors alike. The entertainment keeps most amused, be it a game of pool or darts, live music or the karaoke that sounds every so often. The company that’s held with friends, new friends or the staff makes for great memories and keeps them coming back. And the addition of the new patio out front, that will make for shelter over the sidewalk and a great new spot to enjoy the Madigan’s atmosphere is going to be the topic of discussion there and in town for a while, until the next new project comes along. If the plans go as expected the construction should be complete soon. The projected completion is the first week in May. Stay tuned as Madigan’s opens back up for full time business on May 2nd.
Continuation: The building first built in the mid 1800’s as a school house has some timbers in it that still hold the building in place. Madigan’s has gone through many changes since the building was erected, from school house, to a tin smith shop with remnants of the tin in the crawl space below, to a harness shop which transitioned later to a restaurant called The Harness Shop, among some others and in 1981the edifice became Madigan’s.
