“Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, Peggy walks into mine…”
A Dream Come True.
Once Upon A Time, a fellow named John Christison from Long Island, NY was visiting with family members in Warwick. He thought this town was a very special place and that Warwick deserved to have its own special place to eat, drink, and relax. With this in mind, John set off on his quest.
Through friends, he heard about Ron Henninger (Fine Design), a furniture maker who, at the time, was living up near the Canadian border. After a few meetings and telephone calls, the plan for John’s dream began to unfold.
Everything fell into place and “Yesterdays” was created. John then found Jo Ann Mannino of Sundog Stained Glass. Jo Ann sandblasted and etched the wonderful windows of the front facade.
Now John had the setting, but needed a Chef to bring on the fine food. For this task, John chose Craig Merril, a 1973 graduate of the Culinary Institute. Craig’s gourmet cooking was the last brick needed to create A Dream Come True.
John’s dream didn’t end there, one day along came Peggy. She hasn’t left.
2024, The Dream Continues.
After thirty years or so, John realized the establishment on Main Street was too small to accommodate the steady flow of regular patrons, weekenders, and Applefest attendees.
He and Peggy built Yesterdays as you see it today at 16 Elm Street.
As one can imagine, it was no easy task, but John and Peggy persevered while running the original Main Street location seven days a week.“Stay Positive” was permanently written on the chalkboard at the wait station and became a welcoming and powerful mantra for staff and patrons alike.
Of course, the pandemic didn’t help. Table-seating was very limited. The bar was closed. And yet, every day, Yesterdays contributed to the community by sending food to the local hospital and the county health center. The town did its part as well and closed Main Street in the afternoon/evening so restaurants could place tables on the street – all sufficiently spaced apart – for al fresco dining, often with live music.
Today and every day, John and Peggy Christison continue to make John’s vision of a pub with a family-friendly atmosphere a place where one can enjoy a quiet cocktail, watch Monday night football, and enjoy conversation with the company of friends and family with a casual lunch and dinner at the 50ft bar or table.
We welcome you to Yesterdays Irish Pub on Elm Street and hope you enjoy everything as much as we did making it happen for the last 40 years.
Don’t forget to have one of Peggy’s Award-Winning handmade desserts.