This Sunday, O'Lacy's Irish Pub celebrates 15 years in business.
The location of O'Lacy's on School Street was the Darien Knitting Mill Outlet and Nancy Bachulak and Kent Ewell originally planned to convert the space into an office building, but after a visit to Rhode Island on St. Patrick's Day in 1996, Bachulak and Ewell decided to raze the existing building and build an authentic Irish pub.
Ewell said he's proud of the fact that no public funds were used in the purchase or construction of the building.
Pub stands for public house, and like the pubs of Europe and the British Isles, O'Lacy's has become a popular downtown gathering place for people from all over Genesee County and beyond.
O'Lacy's has won awards for its Guinness pours and is famous for its Reuben sandwich and homemade potato chips and dip.
Ewell and Bachulak have also supported numerous local charitable causes and events over the past 15 years, including the Michael Napoleon Foundation, UMMC and the Crossroads House.
The celebration will take place throughout the day Sunday.
