Ruairí Curtin Brings Irish Hospitality to Upscale Gastropubs Across City

When The Penrose opened in a neighborhood often considered “unhip,” owner Ruairí Curtin said people were surpised. But he always had faith in the 2nd Avenue location.

“The Upper East Side is a vastly underestimated neighborhood,” he said. “Sure—the cool kids will migrate to Brooklyn and Downtown, but this neighborhood is continually on the up. It went through a tough time with the 2nd Avenue construction project. We opened in the middle of it, but since then, more and more eclectic and great businesses are coming to the neighborhood. With the parks, museums, transport networks, and the friendly locals—it’s a great place to be.”

The Penrose is just one of Curtin’s gastropubs. As the principal behind restaurant group Sleeping Giant NY, the vigorous 47-year-old Irishman has now overseen the opening of eight independent gastropubs in Manhattan and Queens. The first to open, in 2004, was Bua at 122 Saint Marks Place in the East Village. Wiffie & Nell in the West Village followed, as did Sweet Afton in Astoria, The Wren on the Bowery and The Penrose, which opened in 2012. The Bonnie, in Astoria, and The Spaniard, in the West Village came next.

In March 2023, Curtin opened Albert’s, a bi-level, retro-New York themed bar and eatery at 140 East 41st St. It was an immediate hit; a happy sign for the Grand Central Terminal area still shaking off the economic woes of the work-from-home pandemic era.

Irish hospitality

After studying business at Dublin City University, and then Alcalá Henares in Madrid, Curtin landed a job with Enterprise Ireland, the Business Consultancy Division of the Irish Government, which brought Curtin to New York. Though he excelled and became the company’s youngest vice president, after seven years, Curtin followed his entrepreneurial spirit. The bar business beckoned.

Surprisingly, Curtin had no prior bar or restaurant experience, though “Ever since I was a kid, I always wanted to be in hospitality,” he said. “I was drawn to it. In a way, my lack of experience was a blessing...My two business partners and I took a completely fresh approach to the bar business. We’ve built bars that felt good to us, where warm hospitality, a beautiful environment, and good conversation were the cornerstones of our establishments. We’re 20 years in now with eight locations. and they all continue to do well.”

Asked how The Penrose and his other bars have thrived in an industry where so many others fail, Curtin doesn’t hesitate: “Everything starts with staff. Without the right people running your business and serving your customers, you won’t last long. We’ve done it with a relentless attention to detail. Everything matters—whether it’s the music, the lighting, the decor, the food and drinks, the staff or otherwise.”

Speaking of things that matter, Curtin’s domestic life has grown, with two little boys and a third on the way. “Life is hectic,” Curtin admitted. In the past, “I would work until the early hours of the morning but now I try to put being a Dad before everything. I love being a Dad...Along with my wife Frella–they’ve changed me for the better,” he said.

“Mostly, I’ve realized that there’s more to life than work.”