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O'Toole's Pub grows its suburban menu

An interview with Sara McKinnon, co-owner of O'Toole's Pub Group.

Q: Tell us about the venue.

A: Timothy O'Toole's Pub Lake Villa is our newest venture, our 4th location - serving chef driven food, craft beer and classic cocktails in a family friendly environment.

Q: Tell us a little history.

A: We opened Timothy O'Toole's Pub in 1992 in downtown Chicago, then Timothy O'Toole's Pub Gurnee in 2009, O'Toole's of Libertyville in 2015, and Timothy O'Toole's Pub Lake Villa in 2018.

Q: How did you get in the industry?

A: I've been working in the restaurant business for 30 years. I started in high school then worked my way up through college.

Q: What do you offer when it comes to corporate meetings?

A: We offer off-site catering and also in-house meeting space. We have managers at each location that specialize in event planning.

Q: Describe the atmosphere.

A: We are a family-owned, award-winning neighborhood restaurant/bar that is lively with friendly faces.

Q: What are people in your industry talking about? What's trending?

A: People are always talking craft beer and local ingredients which we're big on at all of our locations. That and social media, which we're lucky enough to have a social media/marketing manager.

Q: Tell us about yourself. What is your past experience in the industry?

A: I've done all aspects of the business from cooking to bartending to event planning. When you're an owner you wear many hats. There's really nothing beneath me, I'll do anything to make the shift run smoothly.

Q: Tell us one interesting fact about the business that most people don't know.

A: Lots of people want to own restaurants/bars - they think it's glamorous. I can assure you it's not. I love what I do but it's a 24/7 job.

Q: Two people we should follow on twitter and why?

A: Anthony Bourdain (chef, author and television personality) because he's incredibly witty and honest. And Mental Floss because it's an intelligent read.

O'Toole's Pub Group

Locations: 5572 Grand Ave., Gurnee

412 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville

10 West Grand Ave., Lake Villa

622 N. Fairbanks Court, Chicago

Owners: Sara McKinnon and husband Humberto Martinez, Jr.

Number of Employees: 250, soon to be 300+

When was business opened: 1992

Web address: <a href="http://www.timothyotooles.com">timothyotooles.com</a>

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