Sean Cummings Irish Restaurant & Pub

[metro]

Restaurant to offer same venue, Irish menu
Daily Oklahoman

A local restaurant owner is closing the doors of one restaurant to reopen under a different chef's hat.

Sean Cummings, owner of Boca Boca, 9610 N May Ave., said the business will close Aug. 2 after nine years of serving seafood and steak. But Cummings will open Sean Cummings' Irish Restaurant & Pub on Aug. 15.

"I grew up with fun and laughter and singing,” Cummings said. "So I want other people to just see it.”

Cummings wanted to open an authentic Irish pub in Oklahoma City to bring a bit of Ireland to Oklahoma.

Cummings grew up in Kansas City, Mo., where there is a large Irish population, he said. He owned a restaurant there that was one of the top 100 in America.

Cummings has family in Ireland who also own restaurants and pubs, so he is modeling his restaurant after those. He has already made many of the interior changes to give it an Irish feel and he plans to decorate with old family photos and "Irishisms” or sayings that Cummings grew up with.

Cummings will serve seafood, burgers, reubens and authentic Irish dishes including boxty, Irish fish stew and shepherd's pie.

"Cheaper food, Boca quality,” Cummings said. "I'd like people to come give it a shot.”

From Staff Reports

[Martin]

what's up with this irish pub trend? must be the in thing.

-M

[Pete]

OKC is just very late to this party, as every other town seems to have dozens.

Also, I'm sure the huge success of McNellie's had a lot to do with this.

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

what's up with this irish pub trend? must be the in thing.

-M

I don't care as long as the Shepard's Pie and Bangers & Mash are as good as Dan McGuinness' fare.

[Midtowner]

Irish pubs are big all over the place...

I was in Madrid a few years ago and I swear there was an Irish pub on damned near every corner.

[alan]

Kilkenny's in Tulsa is (so far) the best Irish pub in Oklahoma. Go visit and you'll see why the rest are trying to capture the same essence.

[tburn]

Kilkenny's in Tulsa is (so far) the best Irish pub in Oklahoma. Go visit and you'll see why the rest are trying to capture the same essence.

here, here!
I couldn't have said it better.

When we have a weekender in Tulsa, we always make it there on Sundays, after checking out of the hotel, before the church crowd arrives ... the decor and food and ambiance are matched by no other place.

"guinness bloody mary" MMMM
BOXTY!
SCOTCH EGGS!
I don't see those items on the other menus.

[FritterGirl]

I agree with Midtowner on this one. OKC is just late to the party as far as Irish pubs are concerned.

I've lived in three other cities (Monterrey, Ca., Fort Lauderdale, FL, and Clermont-Ferrand, France) at different times in my adult life. All three had Irish pubs that were not only very popular, but were a big part of the "local" culture.

I had my first Guinness draught at "The Peacock" in Monterrey and was privy to a serenade of "Old Danny Boy" by a young man who was then a fellow student, but is now a touring opera tenor. He brought tears even to the old sea crustaceans who held fort at the bar every night.

In Ft. La, that pub had a traditional drums and flute/fiddle band that played every Friday. They were amazing.

And in France, of all places, the Halloween party that was held at the local Irish pub (where all the American ex-pats hung out, surprisingly), was one of the best Halloween bashes I've ever attended.

I think Irish pubs in general attract a certain type of person. Not your usual barfly, or evey party bud, but someone who wants to go for the sense of community they bring, and the "neighborhood" feel of the place.

They are a unique culture unto themselves. I'm glad our population is growing.

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

here, here!
I couldn't have said it better.

When we have a weekender in Tulsa, we always make it there on Sundays, after checking out of the hotel, before the church crowd arrives ... the decor and food and ambiance are matched by no other place.

"guinness bloody mary" MMMM
BOXTY!
SCOTCH EGGS!
I don't see those items on the other menus.

I haven't noticed boxty, but I know that Dan McGuinness has Scotch Eggs.

Or as I like to call them..."Artery plugs".

[metro]

Restaurant owner seeing green
Journal Record
July 29, 2008

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sean Cummings is hoping for the luck of the Irish. Cummings, an Oklahoma City restaurateur who has found success with his steak and seafood restaurant, Boca Boca, on North May Avenue, is closing the doors of the restaurant this week with plans to reopen it as an Irish restaurant and pub Aug. 15.

After nine years of success with Boca Boca, Cummings said it was time to retool the restaurant, rather drastically, and return to his family’s Irish roots.“About every five years you need to remake your business to keep it exciting,” he said.

And while many restaurant owners will slap on a new coat of paint or reupholster the furniture, Cummings said he wanted to try a whole new concept, but without alienating his longtime customers. “I have a pretty darn good reputation here in town and I’m not going to risk that just because I’m doing Irish food,” he said. “It’s going to be phenomenal Irish food.”

With the change in name, from Boca Boca to Sean Cummings’ Irish Restaurant & Pub, he plans to stay in the existing space, at 9610 N. May Ave., which seats about 40.

Cummings will join two other Irish pubs in the metro area, including James E. McNellies Public House in Oklahoma City’s Midtown and Dan McGuinness Pub in Moore. One thing that won’t change is Cummings’ hands-on approach to every aspect of the restaurant, from helping with food preparation to greeting customers.

“In this small of a place everything goes through me,” he said. Cummings also wants his customers to know just what exactly constitutes an Irish pub.“You don’t necessarily go to a pub in Ireland to drink,” he said. “You go to grab a bite to eat and see your friends.”

The restaurant will also shift from a menu weighted with steak and seafood to dishes like soda bread, Irish stew with lamb and beef, fish and chips and hamburgers.

At Boca Boca the average price per diner is about $50. Cummings said diners will generally be able to get out of the new restaurant for less than $20 for a meal and a Guinness or two.

The restaurant will be open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to midnight. Boca has been a dinner-only spot Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Cummings grew up in an Irish household in Kansas City and plans for the pub to look like one owned by his cousin in Ireland. The decor will include black-and-white photos of Cummings’ family members over the years in the Emerald Isle. It will also have not one lucky penny, but 10,000 pennies – $100 worth – affixed to the bar surface and back wall.

Keith Paul, co-founder of A Good Egg Dining Group and owner of several Oklahoma City restaurants, said freshening up a restaurant is one thing, but changing a concept is about twice as much work. He said it is a real risk to stray from a tried-and-true concept, but that it can also pay off for the owner.“It’s quite a change from what he’s been doing,” Paul said. “But who’s to say that they don’t need something like that on the north side of town.”

Shannon Moad, industry communications representative with the Oklahoma Restaurant Association, said she does not often see restaurants make such a dramatic change, but thinks Cummings will probably do just fine. “Sean is a veteran of the restaurant industry and he probably knows what he’s doing,” she said. “He’s got a big fan base and a big customer base that he knows well.”But Cummings knows he is taking a big chance, and that many restaurants fail in their first year of business.

Nevertheless, he is staying optimistic that if this doesn’t work that something else will.“If by chance this nose-dives I always have a contingency plan,” he said. “There were a lot of things working against us with Boca Boca, but it was quite successful.”



Sean Cummings stands Monday with kids, Gabriel, left, and Kyle, at his restaurant, Boca Boca, on May Avenue in Oklahoma City. Sean is closing down the restaurant and reopening it as an Irish pub. (Photo by Chris Albers)

[bronchograd05]

Sounds like Cummings is focusing a lot more on the food than the beer. Both news articles call the place a "restaurant and pub" but there's only one mention of beer - Guinness, naturally - in the two articles.

Whereas McNellie's is touting its huge selection of 60 draft and 300 bottled beers, as well as a place where you can grab a quality Irish meal, Cummings seems to be taking the opposite approach: A place where you can grab a good Irish dish as well as a drink on the side. I just can't see this becoming a hotspot if Cummings is going to focus this much on the food and this little on the beer selection. McNellie's has both great beer and great food; why go anywhere else?

[metro]

It's also funny how the article talks about Boca Boca being so successful, and then he completely changes the look and concept to Irish food with a little beer. If it is so successful, stick with a winner.

[jbkrems]

The thing is that Boca Boca was NOT very successful. I went in one night and ordered the signature dish... I was told, "This dish is the one that keeps us open." Eh, no --- the dish was VERY bland and boring, and I would not order it again. That seemed to be the problem with Boca Boca... the food just was not that great. It was only so-so and I can get better for cheaper, too, of the same sort of thing elsewhere.

[Matt]

Grand opening tomorrow at 11:00. . . with apparently a bagpipe procession at 5:00. Should be interesting.

Home

[alan]

can't wait to try it!

[FritterGirl]

Went opening night. It was packed.

Here's a brief review:

Atmosphere - CASUAL and FRIENDLY! It's very SMALL, so gives off a true neighborhood vibe. A few design choices were a bit strange ("street lamp" at a table) - but otherwise - a fun, comfortable spot that could be a great "neighborhood" hangout - even if it is in what equates to a glorified strip mall.

Drinks: I'm not a huge drinker, but do know that those who are huge beer fans will probably be a bit disappointed. They have a standard "Irish" beer selection (Guinness and a few others whose names escape me now), but NOTHING like McNellies or even TapWerks. No ciders, either, which kind of bummed me out. They do ask if you want your beer served "proper" (20 oz. - "traditional") or "American" (16 oz.). I had two black and tans. I think they also had a few malts. Again, I didn't really pay attention to this part of the menu, so can't really say.

Food: Food was quite good. There were 7 at our table at one point, so we shared a lot.

Tried two appetizers: potato cakes and "Guinness" wings. The potato cakes were quite good. Had nice flavor and a nice spice to them. They came out a bit on the cold side which I attribute to the slower service on opening night. I'll definitely order them again. I'm not a huge wings fan in general, so these - at least to me - were nothing to write home about. They were much larger and meatier than wings in other restaurants I've been to.

Entrees: Got to try several entrees. I ordered the fish and chips. Pretty typical pub fare. Fish and chips are fish and chips. Served up with malted vinegar, you really can't go wrong.

Husband had the shepard's pie. Nice spice to it, and all-around tasty.

The star of the evening was the "Boxty," which is a tradtional Irish "crepe" served up with stewed, spiced meat and veggies. This was delicious, and what I wish I had really ordered. Certainly something different and a nice take on what you normally find in a "pub."

The best part of the night - aside from the "public house" atmosphere - was the traditional Irish Band brought in to entertain that night. They played the traditional instruments, including fiddle, flute and the bohdran (Irish drum), mixed with guitar. I don't remember the group's name, but they were very good. The only drawback is that the noise level was so high from all of the talking that we couldn't really hear them. Would also have liked it if they had engaged the audience more by asking us to participate - sing a chorus or two!

Overall, for an opening night, it was great fun!!! Of course, we'll have to give it time to get its feet under it a bit before we try it again.

I understand they plan to have traditional Irish / Celtic music on a regular basis, so this should be something unique and fun to go there for!

Erin go bragh!

[alan]

what a nice well written review!

[zrfunited]

I had high hopes for Sean Cummings but in my two recent visits those hopes have been dashed. I will say that the drinks and atmosphere are very good, but the service, or rather lack of, is enough to keep me away from this establishment. I would like to have spoken about the food, but I have been unable to try it. Today the service was so poor that my family and I walked out of the establishment. Hopefully the service issue lines itself out, otherwise this place will be short lived.

[guesswhoo]

bronchograd05 has obviously never been to Ireland. You'd never find a pub with 60 draft beers, you'd be lucky to find one that has more than just Guinness on tap.

[guesswhoo]

jbkrems do you know anything about how restaurants work? If a place is open for 9 years like Boca Boca was then it IS considered VERY successful seeing as most places don't even make it past their first. Lets get our facts straight next time shall we?

[alan]

hung out with Sean this past saturday for about 4 hours with two of my buddies.

great service and conversation.

perfect pint of Guinness, right size and temperature. (for a change, pay attention rest of OKC!)


great comfort food that would change how my scottish ancestors felt about the irish.

[jbkrems]

guesswhoo: Yeah, I do know how restaurants work. I have lots of friends in the restaurant industry, and I eat out pretty much every night, somewhere different. I know what works, and what does not work, and where there are areas needing improvement.

As regards to Boca Boca, I was told I was getting a signature dish that had made the restaurant successful, and that if people did not like the dish, then the restaurant would have failed. Well, I did not like the dish, personally. It was bland and boring, and had culinary issues. The vegetables that it was served with was bland, the seabass itself was bland. Also, the dessert I ordered was terrible and not worth the price. Seriously, the dish, which was described as a "signature dish," was pretty much one of the worst specials I have ever ordered anywhere. I do not understand or know how they can survive or thrive on this dish.

I take it, Guesswhoo, that you liked that dish, and that you have NO culinary background at all. Why do you not get YOUR facts, straight - ???

[guesswhoo]

On the contrary I was born into the restaurant business and I think over 25 years of experience qualifies me as having a culinary background.

You seem to still be having trouble though with the definition of opinion and fact. In your opinion the food was bland and not worth the price, but the fact still remains that in the restaurant business being open for 9 years is considered a success. Just ask one of your industry friends.

[metro]

I hope its better than their other restaurant Vito's. I definitely was not impressed by it to say the least.

[jbkrems]

Guesswho:

Where is Tuck when I need him?

What restaurants do you or have you worked at, Guesswho - ?