It’s finally clear what will replace the former Legal Remedy taproom in Rock Hill

Two Irishmen plan to open a neighborhood tavern in one of Rock Hill’s best-known spots to grab a drink. It’ll open ahead of St. Patrick’s Day, but it’s the Irish hospitality they’re more excited to share.

“It’s what we’re famous for,” said co-owner Mark Murphy.

The former Legal Remedy taproom in downtown Rock Hill will open next week as The Journeyman. Murphy and co-owner Barry Leeson have long ties to the regional food scene and the former Legal Remedy setup on Oakland Avenue.

They aim to re-open it Tuesday, ahead of St. Patrick’s Day on March 17.

The owners expect a crowd, in some part due to people wondering just what’s been happening with the brewery and taproom after a longer-than-expected closing that began in early January.

“I think it’s going to be busy straight off the bat,” Leeson said. “People will be inquisitive.”

What happened to Legal Remedy?

Almost a decade ago, Legal Remedy opened the first brewery and taproom in the city at 129 Oakland Ave. Many others followed.

When the Legal Remedy taproom closed earlier this year for remodeling and rebranding, there was some confusion that the brewery also was impacted.

The brewery still operates on the site, just behind the new tavern, and its drinks will be available at The Journeyman. There will be five taps on draft, including a seasonal rotation one.

“We think they make fantastic beer, so we’re going to sell it,” Murphy said.

The new tavern owners hope to build off what Legal Remedy established, as the brewery continues on the same property.

“When they first opened, there wasn’t anything like it in Rock Hill,” Murphy said. “It showed people that there was a possibility.”

The YoCo Brew Trail now has about two dozen breweries, taprooms and bottle shops in its adult beverage tour of York County.

What’s on the new menu?

The new menu will include some favorites from the prior taproom, along with Irish staples and pub fare. The Journeyman will be something completely new, but also respectful of the loyal contingent of Legal Remedy customers.

“I was immediately excited,” Murphy said. “I knew this place had been a much-loved location for a long, long time.”

Journeyman entrees include fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, a smokehouse meatloaf and a pork schnitzel Holstein. A ham and cheddar toastie, smoked turkey wrap, Reuben and Philly cheesesteak join burgers — one with Irish bacon — on the sandwich list.

Small plate items like an Irish sausage roll, Reuben egg rolls, twice-cooked wings and fried chicken sliders fill out the menu.

Irish pub nachos are topped with beer cheese and shepherd’s pie filling. There are half a dozen soup and salad options too.

The tavern will be dinner only Tuesday through Thursday for the first few weeks, with lunch and dinner Friday through Sunday. Blackboard specials will be added in a month or so, and in a few months they’ll start a weekend brunch on one or both days. Long-term plans are to be open every day for lunch and dinner.

Who are these new owners?

Murphy and Leeson came to this country from Ireland more than 20 years ago. They ended up in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, but didn’t know each other.

They each moved to Charlotte in the mid ‘00s to work in the restaurant industry. Their combined experience includes ownership or operation of greater Charlotte stops Belfast Mill, Murphy’s Kitchen & Tap and Mary O’Neill’s.

Leeson and Murphy then found their ways to Legal Remedy, both the main site on Oakland and the former Riverwalk location.

In the fall of 2022, Murphy got the opportunity to take over the taproom site downtown. A lease about this time last year gives the new ownership group options to run the neighborhood tavern site for almost two decades.

“We’re here for the long-term,” Murphy said. “We want to invest in the customers in hopes that they’ll then invest in us.”

Murphy and Leeson remained involved as the Legal Remedy taproom remained open, but in early January of this year alcohol licenses expired.

They knew they’d have to renew them for a new concept, so the owners announced the temporary taproom closure. Because that announcement came from Legal Remedy social media, some people thought the brewery itself would shut down, Murphy said.

“There’ a lot of confusion,” he said.

They’d hoped to shut down for a few weeks, but permitting issues stretched that time out to two months. Final permits came in on Wednesday.

Because of the delay, some Legal Remedy taproom employees found work elsewhere but others will return. The staff will grow to about 45 people.

What to expect at The Journeyman?

The Irish pub concept is one of community and gathering, Murphy said. It’s a place to visit after a baptism or a funeral, where friends can make your best day better and your worst one a little more tolerable.

The Journeyman name comes from the idea of going to new places in search of a better life for your family, Murphy said. That concept is universal but also practical, he said. Leeson already moved to Rock Hill and Murphy intends to do the same.

And the Irish theme may sound familiar to many in Rock Hill who remember McHale’s on Main Street. When that long-time pub closed during the COVID pandemic, many lamented losing not just a place to eat but a place they’d gathered with friends over many years and for many occasions.

“If that’s what people missed about it then that’s consistent with the whole Irish pub approach,” Murphy said. “That’s the magic ingredient. It’s the people.”