New pub/eatery opens in former Torbay post office

The Post Taphouse turns old post office into space for drinks, food, merriment

A place that used to bring merriment to residents of Torbay through mailed packages is now delivering something altogether different as the home of a new bar and restaurant in the community.

Pals Preston Mcgrath and Cory Byrne met as coworkers on an offshore rig and, ideally, would like to be able to hang out when not on the job.

But because of their new business venture, they recently switched rotations, meaning they only overlap being home for about a day.

The Post Taphouse opened on the May 24th weekend in the former post office building on Torbay Road.

Heavily stocked with craft beer on 16 taps, local spirits, and eating options that Mcgrath describes as elevated pub food, the business has so far proven to be a big hit.

"It's been overwhelming," said Mcgrath. "I was away for the opening two days . ... I was trying to get a hold of everybody. 'What's going on down there?' But everyone was so busy. Then when I got home, I came in at lunchtime, just to see the place full on a rainy Tuesday afternoon, and there's cars parked, people drinking beer and eating good food.

"You come in, and the atmosphere that people have been giving off, everybody has great vibes in here. There's been an overwhelming amount of support."

HOW IT STARTED

Byrne is from Torbay and lived there most of his life – he moved to Flatrock a couple of years ago – while Byrne is from Patrick's Cove and moved to Torbay from Mount Pearl three years ago.

"We were working side by side, and (Preston) brought it up a few times, seeing the need for something down in the community," said Byrne, speaking over the phone from his offshore worksite.

The more they talked, the more serious the idea became to open a place that people could enjoy, both young and old.

"When that building came up, Preston noticed it right away and followed up on it, and we managed to secure the building fairly quickly," Byrne said.

Local contracting company S.E.A. Contracting purchased the old post office and agreed to lease it to Byrne and Mcgrath for their business.

"Luckily enough, Cory has been good family friends with them for a long time, and it just so happened when we called, we had been the first people to inquire about it," said Mcgrath.

The interior makes great use of natural light with large windows facing the ocean, and the rear deck (it seats 40, with room to seat 58 inside) offers an amazing view of Torbay Beach and the harbour. The Post Taphouse is also a very short walk from the East Coast Trail, and Byrne expects there'll be hikers likely to pop in for a pint and a bite to eat.

FOOD AND DRINKS

Head chef David Langmead has worked at Waterwest Kitchen and Meats, The Merchant Tavern, and Oliver's, and is joined in the kitchen by Rebekka Raine, a chef who has worked at EVOO, among other places.

"Our burgers are made in-house. The batters are all fresh . ... A lot more work is put into it, and you can taste the difference," Mcgrath said, adding that beer makes its way into a lot of the recipes. The meat in its club sandwich, for example, is brined in beer, and they serve a cheddar ale mac and cheese.

The 16 beer taps cover a wide variety of styles from multiple craft breweries in Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Taphouse carries spirits from both the Newfoundland Distillery Company and Wooden Walls Distilling.

They also stock canned beers and will be selling some of Port Rexton Brewing's gluten-free beers.

"We just got four kegs of gluten-free beer from Port Rexton," Mcgrath said.

"Iron Rock dropped off a couple of kegs (Wednesday). Rough Waters dropped us off four kegs (Wednesday). They're not up on the wall right now, but within the next couple of days, they'll be rotated back in. It's a revolving door of beer, essentially. Hopefully, we'll get to the point where we can hit every brewery in the province and have something there for everybody."

SUPPORTING LOCAL

Byrne says the support from suppliers, the building's owner, and the early customers has been great so far.

They're very happy the opening has coincided with a peak season for hospitality businesses. They're also proud to employ people locally — the Taphouse currently has 16 staff.

"A good chunk of our employees live in Torbay or surrounding areas," Byrne said. "That's something that was important to us."

"The staff, I must say, have really been helping with the vibe here as well," Mcgrath said of the Taphouse, which he also intends to be a family-friendly spot.

"Keeping people happy, friendly, good mood. Everyone is joking, carrying on. It's almost like you've known the people that are coming in the doors for your whole life. That's the kind of a feel we'd like to keep."

The Post Taphouse is open seven days a week from noon until 11 p.m.