Center for Irish Studies at the University of St. Thomas
September 19, 2006

I write today to thank you, and your colleagues at Kip’s Irish Pub and Restaurant, for having selected the Center for Irish Studies at the University of St. Thomas as a designated charity for the month of August. On Saturday I had the pleasure of attending the “Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day” event at Kip’s and of being presented with a check for $750, representing a $1 donation for every order of Fish and Chips sold last month.

Your gift provides indispensable help to us in attaining the aims of the Center: enriching the educational experience through Irish Studies; enhancing internationalism here at St. Thomas; and affirming the many bonds of history and affection between Ireland and this university. We will be delighted to note of your generosity in the next issue of our newsletter, A chara. The university’s development office will shortly be sending you an acknowledgment of your gift and a receipt.

I would be remiss if I did not note the exceptional graciousness and professionalism of your colleagues – Casey, the manger who presented the check last Saturday, and especially Robbie Sullivan who made the initial and very welcome contact with the Center. She was unfailingly helpful and genial in our phone conversations and even more so when I met her in person.

The Center for Irish Studies has indeed become a nationally, even internationally, recognized educational project, and we’re honored by your support. I expect to be back at Kip’s again soon – it was delightful!

Sincerely
James Rogers
Managing Director

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I'm writing to say thanks for the great experience on Friday, when I hosted an impromptu birthday party (my 44th!) for about 30 people in the Finnegan Room. People loved the cozy library feel and the food, especially the mini-burgers, fish & chips, and boxty. Our server, Michael, was awesome--he always seemed to appear right when we needed him, and with a smile! The food came quickly, too. I heard several of my friends say, "I want to have a party here!" and "We've got to come here for dinner!" So you have at least 30 new fans.

-comment mailed to kip@kipspub.com

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Star Tribune March 12, 2006
Out there: Who's your Paddy?
Kip's Pub serves up good beer, good music and very little blarney as a purveyor of "Irish therapy."
Sarah Sawyer, Special To The Star Tribune

Come St. Patrick's Day, there will be no green beer at Kip's Authentic Irish Pub and Restaurant. Why? Because that's for tourists. Rather than covering the walls and menu with Americanized Erin go blarney, Kip's specialty every day of the year is the combination of good beer and even better music and conversation. Call it "Irish therapy," says John Cosgrove, veteran manager of the Local in downtown Minneapolis and general manager of Kip's.

Cosgrove says Irish therapy is much more than whisky and beer. It's the playful, hospitable, come-as-you-are feeling found only in a true Irish pub -- where families gather for dinner and a pint, and friends meet to laugh off the stresses of the day. "In Ireland," he explained, "the pub is the heart of the community."

What makes a pub a pub?
Kip's pub experience has been built piece by piece, brick by brick. The interior was built in Ireland and shipped stateside. The fireplaces, stenciled walls, wooden kegs and copper brewery fixtures set the stage, but the real magic is cooked up inside those walls.

Food and drink
The first ingredient in the mix of a great pub is, of course, good food and drink. The usual Irish beers line up on tap -- including Harp, Guinness, Finnegans, Boddingtons, Strongbow -- and along the mirrored wall is every Irish whisky available this side of the Atlantic. Starters such as Irish spring rolls (corned beef, cabbage and farmer's cheese served crispy egg-roll style) and the chicken and pepper jack boxty (chicken quesadilla meets potato pancake) are perfect for soaking up the alcohol or as a warm-up for Irish dinner classics such as bangers and mash, shepherd's pie, corned beef and cabbage and fish 'n' chips.

Croon an Irish tune
Second in the pot is a pub band. "They don't play 'Danny Boy' in Dublin every night," Cosgrove said with a laugh, "and we don't do it here." Thursday through Saturday, pubgoers unwind to sing-along cover bands. Frequent guests on Kip's stage include Catch 22, Erin Rogue and the Sweet Colleens. (Tip: Erin Rogue has a following of Twin Cities Irish dancers. Show up for the music and an impromptu floor show might break out.)

The Irish invasion
The secret ingredient sure to get sometimes-stoic Minnesotans to talk to the stranger next to them is the Irish themselves. Cosgrove is looking to hire Irish hospitality professionals willing to move here and show us how it's done. Expect an influx of story-telling, eye-twinkling, pint-wielding Irish in your happy hours to come.

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Hi Kelly,

I want to thank you for your efforts in setting up a wonderful meeting place for our Roundtable yesterday. You definitely made my job painless. The room was set up perfectly, the food was great and our server, Tess was awesome! Everyone in our group commented that this was the best meeting setting ever!

I’m sure that some of the other credit unions attending (13 total) will choose your facility in the future for their credit union events and maybe for future Roundtable meetings.

Thanks again,
Jerry

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Hello Kips! I came into breakfast and then again for lunch this weekend and I loved the atmosphere and look of your pub! I came back from Dublin about 3 weeks ago and loved that it was like a home away from home!
The service both times...was fantastic and really made it feel like home as well, the food was fast and everything was perfect!

-comment emailed to Kip@kipspub.com

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www.twincitiesdiningguide.com
Submitted by Bob McClain
7-13-05
Kips Irish Pub

Trippin’ The Irish Brogue

It’s not likely very many of you have ever explored the lush green hills of Ireland. In fact, you’ll probably never get there, much less set foot in a genuine Irish pub. Well, now you have the opportunity to do so daily and never leave the lush flat prairie of Minnesota. And I mean, a genuine Irish pub. One that was designed in Ireland, the parts to build it came from Ireland, and the experts (pub-fitters) who constructed and decorated it, you guessed it, came from Ireland.

Before I get into the nitty gritty of food and whatnot, I just want to say that this place is worth a visit just to explore the décor. Because the family behind Kip’s owned a distillery in Ireland, you’ll find genuine Irish keg ends mounted on the walls. You’ll also find a wall made up of bottle bottoms. You will, of course, find the sort of traditional materials you’d expect in a real Irish pub such as slate, wood, plaster, stained glass windows, and copper. And speaking of copper, there’s an authentic copper kieve from an Irish distillery over the bar. What’s a kieve? You’ll just have to ask the bartender. Need one more reason to look at the ceiling? They had a woman fly over from Ireland who painted a mid-1800’s mural-style map of Ireland on the ceiling, holding the old mapbook in one hand and a paintbrush in the other. Now that’s style.

I talked to several employees while I was there and the sense they gave me is that Irish pubs want their patrons to feel at home when they visit. And that’s the feeling Kip’s is trying to create. So Irish comfort foods are highlighted on the menu. Usually, I ask people at the restaurant what they would recommend for a first timer to try. I actually started an argument. Half said Bangers and Mash and the other half insisted you try the Chicken and Pepper Jack Boxty. Most people know that Bangers and Mash is mashed potatoes and sausages, but, I had to ask them, what is a boxty? For those of you who are of the Scandinavian persuasion, this will seem very familiar. A boxty is similar to lefse. It’s a potato ‘pancake’ made from potatoes and flour. Then it’s smothered in chicken and pepper jack cheese and drizzled with roasted pepper aioli. If it sounds like a quesadilla to you, that’s what I thought. They also have a large selection of seafood. After all, Ireland is an island.

If you’re in the market for dessert, I have to recommend the Chocolate Cake. It’s a chocolate torte with Guinness on the side. Yes, Guinness beer. Don’t question, just try. Appetizers range from 3.95 for the Wedge Cut Chips to 7.95 for the Salt & Pepper Calamari. Lunch runs from $6.95 to $7.95, although they have a lunch special for $10 that includes drink, tax and tip. For dinner, expect to pay no more than $15 for the most expensive item on the menu. Desserts are $4 or $5. They also have a kid’s menu. Kip’s offers two banquet rooms, one that seats 15 and another that seats 25. They have a large selection of Irish beers on tap, a good selection of single malt scotches, and a fair wine list. They are open M-F 6:30am to 1am and S & S from 7am to 1am. Call 952-367-5070 for more information about Happy Hours and brunch.

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AOL City Guide/Twin Cities

Real estate developer CSM (Marriott, Bonaventure) has literally put together an entertainment venue that brings the food, drink and ambience of the Irish pub scene to the Midwest. While there is no doubt as to the authenticity of the pub's interior -- it was crafted in Dublin, shipped here, then constructed by company fitters -- this is definitely an upscale version. The designer interior is drenched in copper, green and reddish hues. Ornate glass, carefully placed accoutrements and the spiffy staff are stylish enough to dissuade you from behaving too raucously. The ample menu also stretches the parameters of pub-ness by offering traditional fare like Irish stew and corned beef and cabbage, then deviating into meatloaf, calamari and Minnesota walleye. Like any good pub, Kip's opens early and serves late -- a full menu runs until 11PM and appetizers until 1AM. Draft beers are many and bottled beers are profuse, from Finnegan's Irish Amber to Old Speckled Hen, and, of course, Guinness. Many guests will want to hang around (or show up) for the pub's entertainment offerings. Besides darts, trivia quizzes and karaoke nights, noted local musicians are scheduled to serve up Irish ballads and more every weekend. -- John Sharpe

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Western Suburbs get their own Irish watering hole
As featured in the August 2005 Issue of the Irish Gazette

The Marriott Hotel in St. Louis Park is the home of the newest Irish addition to the Twin Cities metro area pub scene. The western suburbs were long overdue for some Irish hospitality and Kip’s could prove to be THE gathering place for both the Irish and the wanna-be-Irish “…we’re establishing Kip’s for the long term, which is what we believe the 394 corridor and the community have been hungry for,” said Robin Kirk, president of CSM Lodging, which owns Marriott.
The Pub was built in Dublin by Sonas, a company that designs and handcrafts Irish pubs and restaurants and then shipped to St. Louis Park for reassembly by highly trained pubfitters. Kip’s includes beautiful woodwork, cozy fireplace areas, and a comfortable bar area.
The authentic Irish Pub concept has proven very successful in the United States. According to Diageo-Guinness Inc., the authentic Irish pub boasts a 99 percent success rate as opposed to the average 10 percent success rate for other restaurant concepts across the nation.
Kip’s has outdoor patio seating and will feature live entertainment on a regular basis.

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KIP’S PUB NAMES RECIPE CONTEST FINALISTS
Contest uncovers trove of Irish culinary treasures in the Twin Cities

St. Louis Park, Minn. – July 29, 2005 – Kip Finnegan, owner and proprietor of Kip’s Authentic Irish Pub and Restaurant, has announced the three finalists in his state-wide Irish recipe contest. Competition was fierce as Irish-Minnesotan families submitted 71 recipes through the pub’s Web site for a chance to share their family heritage with Kip and his customers. Patron’s shared heirloom recipes, inspired by warm Irish hospitality (and drink) and protected by their families for generations.

Earlier this month, Kip gathered several of his mates to form a recipe judging panel. After many rounds of testing some of the finest Irish delicacies they had ever tasted, they were able to narrow the contestants to the final three. The finalists were announced at Kip’s Pub Warming party on July 28th. Unable to choose the best recipe, Kip decided to leave the choosing of the winning recipe to pub visitors. He has added the finalists’ fare to his pub’s menu, and the winner will be determined by pub goers who will cast their vote to “keep it” or “delete it.”

The finalist and their hearty recipes are:

Julie Jorgenson’s Irish whisky Glazed Corned Beef is a big hit on St. Patrick’s Day at the Jorgenson house. Serve it with potatoes, cabbage, glazed carrots and, of course, a pint of Guinness.

Cathy Earley’s Shannon and Potato Leek Soup. Cathy’s mother-in-law passed along this family favorite, which is a creamy soup of made with potato, leek, bacon and Marsala wine. The soup is a favorite of her daughter Shannon’s – no surprise, the recipe originated along the banks of the Shannon River nearly 200 years ago and was originally called Shannon River Soup. Cathy still wonders if the Shannon River piece is a bit of blarney on Grandma’s part, but never-the-less, it’s become part of the family folklore.

Kate Vlach’s Colcannon. Kate has been dishing up Colcannon for years to the delight of her family. This traditional Irish recipe combines cabbage, onion and potatoes to create a delicious stick-to-your-ribs side dish.

The overall winner will be announced during Kip’s “Half Way to St. Patrick’s Day” celebration on September 17th, 2005. The winning recipe will become a permanent fixture on the Kip’s menu and the winner will receive a trip for two to the homeland (Ireland).

Kip’s Authentic Irish Pub and Restaurant is located at 9970 Wayzata Boulevard (Highways 394 and 169) in St. Louis Park, Minn. Offering delicious Irish cuisine, one of the Twin Cities’ largest selections of Irish whisky, warm hospitality, live entertainment and plenty of Guinness on tap, Kip’s is truly a destination for the fun at heart. The entire pub was hand-crafted in Dublin, Ireland and a bit of Irish craic is built into every inch.

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KIP’S AUTHENTIC IRISH PUB AND RESTAURANT - PRESS RELEASE
BRINGS AUTHENTIC IRISH CHARM TO THE TWIN CITIES
CSM Lodging opens authentic Irish concept in St. Louis Park, Minn.

MINNEAPOLIS – June 22, 2005 – A bit of the Irish is coming to the western Twin Cities suburbs with the opening of Kip’s Authentic Irish Pub and Restaurant at 394 and Wayzata Boulevard in St. Louis Park, Minn. Kip’s is no poxy American version of the Irish pub, in fact, it was built in Dublin and came to America by way of the deep blue sea. This authentic Irish watering hole promises to be a place to gather with friends and family to dodder about the day’s triumphs and sorrows, and like all things Irish, it comes with a story.

The story is of Kip, of course, a wayward Irish lad who was sent by his father to travel the world, in hopes that the boy would earn a wee bit of smarts and some respect for hard work. Kip traveled for near five years before he landed in America. Setting out to explore the American countryside, Kip made it as far as Minnesota before he met the girl of his dreams and his wild rover days were over. Happy to settle in his true love’s homeland, Kip still yearned for the warmth, good food and hospitality found only in the pubs of his beloved Ireland. So, he decided to bring the good times to Minnesota and established Kip’s, a place where the food is as warm as the company, the pints are always full, and the air is spinning with tales of adventure.

From the décor, to the menu, to the always welcoming staff, Kip’s is one of few authentic Irish pubs in the Twin Cities and the only establishment in the state designed and built by Dublin-based Sonas, a company that designs and hand crafts Irish pubs and restaurants. Kip’s was built in Sonas’ facility in Dublin, shipped to Minnesota and then reassembled by the company’s pub fitters – who leave behind their mark of quality craftsmanship, a friendly atmosphere and a hint of warm Irish laughter. Kip’s has outdoor patio seating and will feature live entertainment on a regular basis.

“Like all of our adventures, we’re establishing Kip’s for the long-term, which is what we believe the 394 corridor and this community have been hungry for,” said Robin Kirk, president of CSM Lodging. “Kip’s is a place where people will flock week after week to enjoy their favorite dish or to grab a pint with friends. And, if our patrons are lucky enough to someday shake the hand of Kip and hear some of his stories, it will become a part of their own community heritage.”

CSM Lodging is also confident in Kip’s longevity because of the proven success of the authentic Irish pub concept in the United States. According to a Diageo-Guinness, Inc., the authentic Irish pub boasts a 99 percent success rate, as opposed to the average 10 percent success rate for other restaurant concepts across the nation.

To celebrate the grand opening of Kip’s and to help the community feel at home there, CSM Lodging is launching an Irish recipe contest. Twin Cities residents are invited to share their best Irish recipes, which will be judged by restaurant patrons at the “pub warming.” The winner will receive a trip for two to Ireland and the winning recipe will find a permanent home on Kip’s menu. For further details, visit www.kipspub.com.

About CSM Lodging
CSM Lodging is a division of CSM Corporation, which owns and operates 37 properties across the United States under the Marriott, Hilton and Carlson brands. CSM Lodging has been recognized as Marriott's "Developer of the Year" for an unprecedented two years in a row. For more information, visit www.csmlodging.net.

CSM Corporation, founded in 1976, is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn. CSM Corporation engages in the acquisition, development, leasing, management, and ownership of quality real estate assets. The company’s extensive portfolio includes retail, industrial, multi-family residential and hotel properties across the continental United States. For more information, visit www.csmcorp.net.

The mission of CSM Lodging is to develop and manage the finest hotels through an association with the best brands, and to continuously deliver outstanding guest servic

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