MaY 1, 2008 Issue
Business Spotlight
Murphy’s Restaurant and Pub—
Boone’s Down-Home Restaurant and Pub Looks at 20
Story by Sam Calhoun
A lot of business owners like to think their establishments are like the bar in the hit sitcom Cheers, but few hit the mark better than Boone’s Murphy’s Restaurant and Pub. Murphy’s, located at 747 West King Street, is Cheers with a smoking section, more pool tables and a larger beer selection. Murphy’s co-owners Erik and Steve Larson and music promoter/bartender John Rush give customers all the laughs and personal service that Cheers’ Sam and Woody displayed on television screens across America in the 1980s. And don’t forget Norm and Cliff—they are there too; they just have different names.
You would be hard pressed to find a bar and restaurant frequented by more Boone locals where professionals eat lunch beside contractors, students play pool with townspeople and smiling faces serve some of the best food around.
“We have a large local clientele—an eclectic clientele,” said Erik. “It’s a mix.”
“On any day of the week, you can find carpenters, plumbers, ASU kids, professionals and the occasional lawyer,” added Steve.
And don’t forget that after you frequent the iconic pub a few times, everyone knows your name. Some might even call it a right of passage for becoming a Boone local.
This month, Murphy’s turns 20—quite a milestone for a local business.
“For as many places that have come and gone in this town, it’s pretty amazing that we have stuck around for 20 years,” said Erik, who started the business with Tom Phillips in 1988.
Erik and Steve are brothers. Steve, 59, was born in Northfield, Minn., home of Jesse James’ last bank robbery. A few years later, the Larson family moved to Havre, Mont. and Erik, 57, was born.
Erik and Steve’s father eventually took a job as swim coach at ASU and the family moved to the High Country from Montana. The swim coach job led their father to the position as chair of the ASU Department of Physical Education and the family stuck around.
Both Erik and Steve attended ASU. Steve graduated with a degree in history and a minor in political science. Erik racked up enough class hours to have five degrees but never walked across the stage to get a diploma.
Graduation sent the brothers in different directions. Steve went to work at restaurants all over the country, from four-star hotels in California to the kitchen at the old Holly’s Tavern—the current location of Canyons of Blowing Rock—with Jack Pepper, current owner of Pepper’s Restaurant. Erik opened a sandwich shop at the current location of Boone Bagelry called The Wooden Nickel and then moved to Blowing Rock where he opened a wine, cheese and beer shop called The Village Wine Shop in the current location of The Speckled Trout.
In 1986, when beer and wine came to Boone via referendum, Erik decided to move The Village Wine Shop to Boone, thinking that a wine shop would never make it in Blowing Rock in the long run—a decision he laughs at today. The new shop in Boone, located on Highway 105 where the Comfort Inn is today, did just fine. So fine, in fact, that Erik and his new partner Phillips added a restaurant and bar to the building and changed the name to Murphy’s Restaurant and Pub in 1988. Live music came shortly after; then Steve joined the team and a Boone icon was born.
Murphy’s spent 10 years at the location on Highway 105 before the Watauga Democrat decided to move from its long-time location on King Street, and Erik, Steve and Phillips jumped at the chance to be on Boone’s main street. Phillips left the business soon after the move, but remains a good friend of Erik and Steve.
Today, Murphy’s is the place to go for lunch or dinner, to play pool, to play shuffleboard, to have drinks after work and to hear live music from all over the country. It’s even the place for private parties, as the restaurant features a private party room downstairs complete with four pool tables, a full bar with a bartender, a shuffleboard table, a television and a jukebox. The room holds up to 50 people and costs $25 per hour to rent.
Murphy’s 35 employees serve one of the most eclectic menus around, featuring 16 flavors of wings, dozens of pizzas, pastas, sandwiches, seafood, steaks, appetizers, barbecue and ribs. Also, Murphy’s offers dinner and beer specials every night of the week.
“We have a menu that appeals a little bit to everyone—and too much to me and my brother,” Steve laughed. “It’s just a down-home type place, with warm beer and cold food,” he joked.
Steve may joke about that kind of stuff, but that’s just the kind of place Murphy’s is—no one wants to be too serious, or appear too serious. In actuality, Steve and Erik do most of the cooking and keep a close eye on the daily goings-on in the restaurant. They’re very serious about that.
“We’re here every day. We keep an eye on it. We’re working owners,” said Steve.“We can see the problems before they get out of hand. And since we both cook, we maintain the quality of the food.”
Steve usually takes the day shift and Erik takes the night—a good balance for two brothers who have worked together for two decades.
“Erik and I don’t work together on purpose,” laughed Steve. “We both have our unique talents that we bring to the business.”
“Yeah, we try not to work together,” added Erik.
Murphy’s is also a cornerstone for the local bar crowd. With 20 beers on tap, 50 bottles, 10 varieties of wine and a weekly tap beer special, it’s hard not to please even the most discriminating palate at Murphy’s.
For the last decade, John Rush has brought music to the Murphy’s stage—some acts that have become rich and famous and some that only a few Murphy’s regulars will remember—on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. The music offerings have now grown to include open mic nights on Wednesdays and local musician jam sessions on Tuesday nights. And, of course, Murphy’s is home to the largest—and arguably the most wild—St. Patrick’s Day party in the High Country.
Where else, though?
Erik and Steve—ever the entrepreneurs—installed the first big screen television in Boone and had a hand in persuading the Town of Boone to adopt recycling practices. After many years of sitting by while the Town of Boone did not offer recycling services, Erik and Steve finally had enough and dumped piles of recycling—bottles and cardboard boxes—in front of Boone Town Hall in protest.
“They, of course, got mad at us, but we were trying to make a point,” said Erik, who added that the Town of Boone adopted recycling practices soon after.
For the future, Steve and Erik have no plans to leave or close Murphy’s and are awaiting the outcome of the debate over liquor by the drink. The brothers are not for or against liquor, but they know if liquor comes, they’ll have to remodel and perhaps hire a few new bartenders who know how to pour mixed libations.
Whether you are a regular at Murphy’s or have never walked through the doors, stop by in May for the restaurant’s 20th anniversary celebration. The brothers have not set a date, but they promise it will be as wild a party as St. Patrick’s Day.
Murphy’s Restaurant and Pub is located at 747 West King Street in Boone. The restaurant is open from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. seven days a week for lunch and dinner. The pub stays open until 2:00 a.m. seven days a week. For more information, call 828-264-5117 or click to www.murphysboone.com.
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