It began as his hangout. And 50 years later, McGillin’s Olde Ale House is still his happy place.
Grays Ferry native John Doyle has poured a lot of beer, told a lot of stories and made a lot of smiles over the last half-century as the longest-serving employee in the city’s oldest continuously operating tavern.
The paychecks and the tips were always nice, but the friendships he made were a true treasure.
“The people here are so supportive,” said Doyle, 79, who grew up at 30th and Tasker streets. “You can’t go anywhere and see a bartender behind the bar, pushing 80. It just doesn’t happen. The people that I’ve met over the years are great. All these people here today, I’ve met over the years. Some I haven’t seen in a very long time.”
On April 27, McGillin’s toasted its beloved bartender with a five-hour celebration that ended at 5 p.m., which is the time Doyle usually punched his time card after a shift. But the celebration will continue over the next year through St. Patrick’s Day, which will be his 50th at the iconic Philadelphia bar on Drury Lane in Center City. It was a place Doyle fell in love with as a patron after he served in the Army.
“I was a customer,” Doyle said. “I got out of the Army and I would come to McGillin’s with my buddies. My wife and I had an apartment in Roxborough and she would go to her mother’s to do wash on Friday nights and I would come to McGillin’s.”
As Doyle has been known to do, he struck up friendly conversation with the workers there.
“One night I’m there talking to the doorman and he asks me to watch the door for him so he could go to the bathroom,” Doyle recalled. “I said, ‘Sure.’ People were coming in and I’m not carding anybody! A few weeks later, the same guy said maybe you could fill in for us sometime. It was $17.50 a shift. I was, like, ‘Wow.’ I took the job.”
There were no bartending jobs available at McGillin’s at the time, but Doyle attended bartending school twice a week over the next six weeks so he would be ready when he got the call.
“I stayed working the door a few years and one day, the owner came up and asked me to tend bar,” Doyle said. “They trained me their style and that was that.”
For decades, Doyle worked Friday nights and Saturday afternoons under three different generations of owners.
“We’re the oldest bar in Philly and we probably have the longest-serving bar employee in Philadelphia,” said current co-owner Chris Mullins Jr. “Not many people get to 50 years. It’s something we’re really proud of. He is gregarious, hard working, a true Philadelphian. His charm is so unparalleled. He’s just a great guy. He’s 79 years old and working in the same place for 50 years is unbelievable.”
Chris’s father Chris Mullins Sr. also praised Doyle for his hard work and leadership.
“John has met the biggest names in sports, television, stage, music and entertainment. But one of the things that makes him special is that he treats everyone like a celebrity. John has a personality that draws thousands to McGillin’s,” said Chris Mullins Sr. “John treats staff with the same respect. Throughout his tenure at McGillin’s, John has been a commanding leader for hundreds of our staff.”
Admittedly, there were a few breaks. There was a back injury about 10 years ago that kept Doyle on the sidelines for a stretch. And the pandemic played a role in another break in the action, but Doyle kept coming back, and he certainly enjoys the spotlight.
“I do pull rank,” Doyle said with a laugh. “St. Patrick’s Day and New Years’ Day. I get those shifts.”
Over the years, Doyle has served several politicians, celebrities and sports figures who visited the establishment.
“I’ve met some good people,” he said. “Some mayors and I’ve served Chase Utley. (Jason) Kelce used to come in here and play cards when he first got drafted. And Joe Biden. That was eight years ago.”
He’s also seen a wide range of tips left on the bar.
“A couple of guys came in one day from, I think it was California,” Doyle said. “The guy asks for Hendrick’s Gin. I made him a couple gin martinis and then they asked for Irish Stout and I poured a couple. At about 4:30 or 5 (p.m.) they tell me they gotta go but that they had a great time. The bill was maybe $80. They left a $500 tip. Then, there was a time a guy left me a nickel. And of course, I put it in the tip jar. A tip is a tip.”
During the year-long celebration kickoff, Doyle was greeted by friends, family, co-workers and even serenaded by a few Mummers from Aqua, Duffy and Ferko String Bands. He also received a proclamation from City Council for his service.
“John is a replica of the City of Philadelphia,” Councilmember Mark Squilla said. “He’s a generational person who has been here almost his whole life. Working in the same establishment for 50 years is something, and this is a great establishment here. It’s really important to celebrate with John and show him our appreciation and what we think he means to the City of Philadelphia.”
