Declan Synnott understands the conductors whose orchestras perform in the theaters next to his Parnell’s Pub in Playhouse Square. In fact, he sees his job as an orchestrator of drinks and, more importantly, his clientele. “The only reason my place is successful is the people who walk through the doors, not me,” he says.
While the downtown location is a popular after-work watering hole, the flagship pub has been in business in Cleveland Heights since 1998 and is run by his wife, Elizabeth.
To the Manner Born: Synnott, a native of Ashbourne in Ireland’s County Meath, quit school at the age of 14 to start working in a hotel. “I’ve been in the hospitality business ever since,” he says. After a stint in the Channel Islands, Synnott came to the United States and worked at Flannery’s Pub.
Sober Living: Despite spending his days in a bar, Synnott has what his countrymen call “the affliction” and hasn’t drank in 20 years. “It was either stay in this business or keep drinking,” he says.
Local Counts: Since the pandemic, Synnott has upped efforts to stock local products. The Lee Roader ($12), for example, is made using Burton-based Tom’s Foolery Distillery’s rye bourbon. 1415 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, 216-862-8953; 12425 Cedar Road, Cleveland Heights, 216-321-3469, parnells.pub
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