After 10 years of serving food and spirits to the Nob Hill crowd, O'Niell's Pub will turn over its bar stools for good in December.
The tenant's lease is coming to an end on Dec. 31, and the landlord doesn't want to renew it, owner Rob O'Niell said.
"I didn't see this coming," he said. "I thought I was going to be here for awhile."
O'Niell and his brother, who runs O'Niell's Uptown near Coronado Mall, created the pub from scratch, building the tables and chairs in their garage years ago.
Because the pub was a staple in the University area, O'Niell said regulars are very common.
"We have an incredible amount of regulars - nightly, weekly, bi-weekly," he said.
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O'Niell said all the customers stand out, particularly a guy who drove from Rio Rancho every day to have lunch.
"People will travel a silly distance to come here, which really boggles my mind," he said.
Consistency is part of the reason the restaurant has so many regulars, O'Niell said.
"I have had a dishwasher that has been with me nine years, a bartender with me for eight years and a chef for seven years," he said. "It's a really nice place to work."
O'Niell, who was born and raised in Albuquerque, takes his job as a pub owner seriously and doesn't hesitate to stop serving drinks when customers have had too much to drink.
"This is the easiest place to get cut off in town," he said, "We've always been responsible."
O'Niell is doing what he can to move to another location in Nob Hill.
"The clientele is great here," he said. "We get the wonderful, vibrant and eclectic customers from Nob Hill and the University."
If it isn't possible, he will take in many of his former workers at O'Niell's Uptown.
"Hopefully this is just a brief hiatus," he said. "If not, I think the neighborhood is going to lose a real jewel."
