AN UNLIKELY DUO
John Dickinson and Danny Ahern weren’t exactly a match made in bar business heaven.
One’s a native New Yorker. One’s an Irish-American. One is comfortable swinging a hammer on a job site, while the other’s at home in a rugby scrum ankle deep in mud. John’s in his 50s. Danny’s in his 30’s.
But they both love live music and great beer. A lot.
John and Danny first crossed paths in 1998 in the very bar they now co-own. The two hit if off immediately and soon embarked upon a business journey that led them to creating what now is known as the Iron Horse Pub.
“The thing we both wanted, if we were going to open a bar, was for it to be a place where people could come and experience the power of live music,” John said. “Great service was, of course, important. So was great beer. But more than anything, we wanted to bring that spirit of live music to the people of Wichita Falls.”
And that they did.
“We started slow, by which I mean we didn’t make a lot of money,” Danny said. “But we wanted to build a reputation with both our customers and the bands. To do that, we booked great bands – and we treated them right.”
The Pub is now a home away from home for big-name bands out of Austin, Dallas, New Orleans, LA and beyond. Those same bands also make sure their industry colleagues know to answer the phone when it’s the Pub in Wichita Falls calling!
Less than two years after opening, the Pub produced the downtown’s first outdoor rock festival, followed by the city’s first St. Patrick’s Day Festival and, eventually, a culture of live music that now defines the Pub.
“We both still have the jobs we’ve always had,” Danny said. “The money the Pub makes is reinvested back in the Pub.”
“Security is also a very high priority for us,” John said. “We keep a peaceful place.”
And their mission does not end at the front door.
“Single ladies are always escorted by security staff to their car,” Danny said. “It matters to us that our customers see us as being part of their lives, not just a place to party.”
Over time, the Pub has also become a gathering place for happy hour regulars, a required stop on the way home from work to share the details of the day.
“It’s very much in the mold of a traditional pub,” John said. “It’s where people meet at the end of the day to talk, to visit, to exchange information about what’s happening around town. That’s what a pub is supposed to be.”
This sense of camaraderie doesn’t just flow among the customers. The Pub has taken an increasingly large role as a leader in the business and charitable communities.
“We do a lot of fundraisers, a lot of them,” Danny said. “Can’t tell you how many times we’ve donated our stage, our venue – or our staff has donated their tips – so someone can raise money for a charity or for someone who’s sick or some other cause. It’s all a part of being a responsible member of the community.
That attitude is perhaps most evident each February when the Pub throws its annual Super Bowl Customer Appreciation Party, a pot-luck get-together for all the friends of the Pub. Entire families come out for the free all-you-can-eat buffet before the game and a night of football on the big screen.
And maybe, one day, it’ll be rugby up on that big screen, right Danny?
Whatever’s on the big screen, or on the stage, or flowing from the tap, Danny and John will make sure that there’s always a place for you – at the Pub.
John Dickinson and Danny Ahern weren’t exactly a match made in bar business heaven.
One’s a native New Yorker. One’s an Irish-American. One is comfortable swinging a hammer on a job site, while the other’s at home in a rugby scrum ankle deep in mud. John’s in his 50s. Danny’s in his 30’s.
But they both love live music and great beer. A lot.
John and Danny first crossed paths in 1998 in the very bar they now co-own. The two hit if off immediately and soon embarked upon a business journey that led them to creating what now is known as the Iron Horse Pub.
“The thing we both wanted, if we were going to open a bar, was for it to be a place where people could come and experience the power of live music,” John said. “Great service was, of course, important. So was great beer. But more than anything, we wanted to bring that spirit of live music to the people of Wichita Falls.”
And that they did.
“We started slow, by which I mean we didn’t make a lot of money,” Danny said. “But we wanted to build a reputation with both our customers and the bands. To do that, we booked great bands – and we treated them right.”
DANNY-HERE’S AN ALTERNATE VERSION OF THE TWO GRAPHS YOU WANTED DELETED. IF IT STILL DOESN’T WORK, WE’LL JUST TAKE IT OUT.
John and Danny know that traveling bands work hard for a living. Days on the roads, nights in unfamiliar places, and the constant pressure of running a business enterprise. Which is why they make it a priority to always treat musicians professionally and ethically.
The Pub is now a home away from home for big-name bands out of Austin, Dallas, New Orleans, LA and beyond. Those same bands also make sure their industry colleagues know to answer the phone when it’s the Pub in Wichita Falls calling!
Less than two years after opening, the Pub produced the downtown’s first outdoor rock festival, followed by the city’s first St. Patrick’s Day Festival and, eventually, a culture of live music that now defines the Pub.
“We both still have the jobs we’ve always had,” Danny said. “The money the Pub makes is reinvested back in the Pub.”
“Security is also a very high priority for us,” John said. “We keep a peaceful place.”
And their mission does not end at the front door.
“Single ladies are always escorted by security staff to their car,” Danny said. “It matters to us that our customers see us as being part of their lives, not just a place to party.”
Over time, the Pub has also become a gathering place for happy hour regulars, a required stop on the way home from work to share the details of the day.
“It’s very much in the mold of a traditional pub,” John said. “It’s where people meet at the end of the day to talk, to visit, to exchange information about what’s happening around town. That’s what a pub is supposed to be.”
This sense of camaraderie doesn’t just flow among the customers. The Pub has taken an increasingly large role as a leader in the business and charitable communities.
“We do a lot of fundraisers, a lot of them,” Danny said. “Can’t tell you how many times we’ve donated our stage, our venue – or our staff has donated their tips – so someone can raise money for a charity or for someone who’s sick or some other cause. It’s all a part of being a responsible member of the community.
That attitude is perhaps most evident each February when the Pub throws its annual Super Bowl Customer Appreciation Party, a pot-luck get-together for all the friends of the Pub. Entire families come out for the free all-you-can-eat buffet before the game and a night of football on the big screen.
And maybe, one day, it’ll be rugby up on that big screen, right Danny?
Whatever’s on the big screen, or on the stage, or flowing from the tap, Danny and John will make sure that there’s always a place for you – at the PubJohn Dickinson and Danny Ahern weren’t exactly a match made in bar business heaven.
One’s a native New Yorker. One’s an Irish-American. One is comfortable swinging a hammer on a job site, while the other’s at home in a rugby scrum ankle deep in mud. John’s in his 50s. Danny’s in his 30’s.
But they both love live music and great beer. A lot.
John and Danny first crossed paths in 1998 in the very bar they now co-own. The two hit if off immediately and soon embarked upon a business journey that led them to creating what now is known as the Iron Horse Pub.
“The thing we both wanted, if we were going to open a bar, was for it to be a place where people could come and experience the power of live music,” John said. “Great service was, of course, important. So was great beer. But more than anything, we wanted to bring that spirit of live music to the people of Wichita Falls.”
And that they did.
“We started slow, by which I mean we didn’t make a lot of money,” Danny said. “But we wanted to build a reputation with both our customers and the bands. To do that, we booked great bands – and we treated them right.”
DANNY-HERE’S AN ALTERNATE VERSION OF THE TWO GRAPHS YOU WANTED DELETED. IF IT STILL DOESN’T WORK, WE’LL JUST TAKE IT OUT.
John and Danny know that traveling bands work hard for a living. Days on the roads, nights in unfamiliar places, and the constant pressure of running a business enterprise. Which is why they make it a priority to always treat musicians professionally and ethically.
The Pub is now a home away from home for big-name bands out of Austin, Dallas, New Orleans, LA and beyond. Those same bands also make sure their industry colleagues know to answer the phone when it’s the Pub in Wichita Falls calling!
Less than two years after opening, the Pub produced the downtown’s first outdoor rock festival, followed by the city’s first St. Patrick’s Day Festival and, eventually, a culture of live music that now defines the Pub.
“We both still have the jobs we’ve always had,” Danny said. “The money the Pub makes is reinvested back in the Pub.”
“Security is also a very high priority for us,” John said. “We keep a peaceful place.”
And their mission does not end at the front door.
“Single ladies are always escorted by security staff to their car,” Danny said. “It matters to us that our customers see us as being part of their lives, not just a place to party.”
Over time, the Pub has also become a gathering place for happy hour regulars, a required stop on the way home from work to share the details of the day.
“It’s very much in the mold of a traditional pub,” John said. “It’s where people meet at the end of the day to talk, to visit, to exchange information about what’s happening around town. That’s what a pub is supposed to be.”
This sense of camaraderie doesn’t just flow among the customers. The Pub has taken an increasingly large role as a leader in the business and charitable communities.
“We do a lot of fundraisers, a lot of them,” Danny said. “Can’t tell you how many times we’ve donated our stage, our venue – or our staff has donated their tips – so someone can raise money for a charity or for someone who’s sick or some other cause. It’s all a part of being a responsible member of the community.
That attitude is perhaps most evident each February when the Pub throws its annual Super Bowl Customer Appreciation Party, a pot-luck get-together for all the friends of the Pub. Entire families come out for the free all-you-can-eat buffet before the game and a night of football on the big screen.
And maybe, one day, it’ll be rugby up on that big screen, right Danny?
Whatever’s on the big screen, or on the stage, or flowing from the tap, Danny and John will make sure that there’s always a place for you – at the Pub.
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