O’Bryan’s Nine Irish Brothers Lands 2011 Small Business of the Year Award

The winner of the winners—the business chosen from the Small Business of the Month Award recipients to carry the title, 2011 Small Business of the Year—is O’Bryan’s Nine Irish Brothers. 

The competition was stiff, with these business winners also contending for the big title awarded in January: Artisan Electric LLC, Cartridge World, Christo’s Family Restaurants, Haan Marketing + Communications, JP Video Productions, Keystone Architecture Inc., Paul Davis Restoration of Greater Lafayette, Sgt. Preston’s of the North, Sue and Associates, and T.J. Gall & Associates.

Please join Greater Lafayette Commerce in saluting O’Bryan’s Nine Irish Brothers and all these accomplished businesses.

O’Bryan’s Nine Irish Brothers Story from July 2010

Ambience, Ale, Appetizers and More Add Up to a Feast of Fun

O’Bryan’s Nine Irish Brothers Named July Small Business of the Month

The pubs in Ireland are known for their family feeling and robust good times with friends, and that’s what Jerry and Jan O’Bryan set out to capture when they opened O’Bryan’s Nine Irish Brothers on the Levee in September 2006.

Its authentic décor, Irish and American food and popular spirits drew such a great crowd, in November 2008 they opened a second, on State Road 38 East.

Family Business

“Business has been great, awesome,” says Jerry O’Bryan, who’s rolled out a special summer menu with items such as pork sandwiches and potato salad at the family-designed, family-built and family-run business named July Small Business of the Month by Greater Lafayette Commerce.

That’s in addition to daily specials, steaks, corned beef and cabbage—“a good Irish meal”—and fish and chips—“We’re pretty well known for that.” The menu also features chicken salad, an Irish Reuben, Irish BLT, Molly Malloy, veggie sandwich, Guinness stew, desserts and more.

An Irish Experience

While the food is first-rate, the full experience makes it an occasion to remember. “Our goal is to bring a bit of Ireland to Greater Lafayette,” O’Bryan says. “We do so by offering authentic Irish and Irish American food and drink, free live Irish music every weekend, and other cultural events, such as tastings and dancing lessons.”

The Levee pub employs 40; the East Side, 46.

Outside its two pubs, the business sponsors and organizes the St. Patrick’s Day Parade each March 17, and this June it was the primary sponsor of the First Annual Irish Fest.

Community participation is a hallmark for the business, which has supported the Mental Health Association, American Red Cross, Shop-with-a Cop and more.

Hoosier by Birth

Surprisingly, O’Bryan is an Indiana native, but he can trace his roots to family that left Ireland in 1851, ultimately becoming Indiana farmers.

O’Bryan is the youngest of nine brothers and five sisters, with many family members helping him manage the business and working alongside him.

He came to Lafayette in 1966; his wife is a native. O’Bryan ran the Hairman, a styling business, for years before opening his first pub.

All About the People

“The hair business is a people-oriented business,” he says. “You learn people are people, treat them nice, and they come back.”

The same principles apply at the pubs, he says. “No one is a stranger. Everybody’s nice. We’re consistent on our foods and alcohol. Late night we have a fun time with our music. It’s a nice atmosphere for everybody.”