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“Pub” is short for “Public House.” In parts of Ireland they still call a night
of music at a pub “kitchen.” We refer to the space where people eat at
restaurants as the “dining room.” While our public experience of these
spaces is conditioned by our experience of our own private spaces, these
public spaces provide a broader social purpose.

My fundamental belief about my industry, and the reason I chose it as a
profession, is that we are the places where people recharge the “social
battery.” It is the creation of a gathering place that makes a bar or restau-
rant a noble endeavor.

We create a space where you can go with friends, or alone (we don’t
judge), and forget what you do for a time. We manufacture an environ-
ment where you can either talk with people around you, or be publicly
private with a friend, friends, family, or loved ones sitting in the midst
of other people doing the same thing. We give you a time out from your
real life of framing houses, writing insurance policies, or cardiovascular
surgery. I know for a fact that I don’t only speak for myself when I say
that bringing you food and drink and a place to have it is my way of say-
ing thank you for what you do, irrespective of what that is.

The importance of the physical space of a restaurant or bar cannot be
overvalued or overlooked. There is a different kind of recharging that
happens when you can completely leave your regular experience behind.
Of course it’s nice to relax in your own home after long days. It’s your
sanctuary. But how do you feel about relaxing at home right now after

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