About Seamus McDaniel's

A neighborhood landmark is St. Louis has become part of a new neighborhood in O’Fallon.

Seamus McDaniel’s, an Irish pub and restaurant operating since 1985 in the southwest section of St. Louis known as Dogtown, opened its doors New Year’s Eve in a second location, at 7434 Village Center Drive in WingHaven.

Pan and Dan Liston, co-owners with Jim Venincasa of the orginal eatery, sold their interst in that establishment to him and will devote themselves full-time to the new business.

McEagle Properties L.L.C., developer of the 1,200-acrea mixed-use WingHaven community, wanted to attract a restaurant to WingHaven’s Boardwalk Market Place and decided to construct a stand-alone building there, said to Chris McKee, President, of McKee Family of Cos., had already begun construction of the 4,000-square-foot building when the Liston’s became interested in the site.

Pam Liston said they had been looking to move to a new location for some time and liked the concept of neighborhood they saw at WingHaven. She said they met with O’Fallon Mayor Paul Renaud and found everyone very welcoming.

“We just like the area,” Liston said. “It’s so convenient; everything you need is within two miles. There are not many areas like this. And I have nothing but praise for McEagle. They stood by us all the way through the process, even before we actually secured a loan.”

The $427,000 restaurant was designed by the Listons; William Laskowsky, AIA, McEagle’s director of development; and Bliss Associates. It features a pre-Civil War tin ceiling and 110-year old dark oak bar from Texas adorned with arched and rectangular mirrors and columns supporting a bar cap with ornate crown molding.

“We worked with the designers in planning the interior space,” Liston said. “In addition to the bar, we found some antique stained-glass windows from a monastery that was torn down. And we’ve installed old church pews with Celtic crosses for booth seating. We can accommodate 150 guests and will be able to serve 45 more in the garden in summer.”

“Pam and Dan bought the building and have turned it into a very unique place,” McKee said. “There’s nothing like it here. I took our family there on opening night New Year’s Eve, and it was crazy. They attracted a much bigger crowd than expected, and the crowds have continued to be great, even on weekdays.

“The place has a great neighborhood feel, and the neighbors have supported it. From our standpoint, it’s an absolutely prefect fit for the WingHaven community. People come in to see other people they know. There’s a sense of community you don’t normally find in a restaurant chain.”

Liston said WingHaven is the first new concept they’ve see locally that truly fosters community. “It’s not subdivisions,” she said. “It’s neighborhoods. The setting encourages the type of pedestrian traffic Dogtown has. It has been an absolute joy to work with Paric and McEagle. McEagle has created an old-fashioned community ideally suited for our family-oriented restaurant.”

WingHaven is a planned community that will include 1.5 million square feet of office space; 1.2 million square feet of high-tech, research/service center space; 400,000 square feet of retail; 2,000 homes and apartments; schools; a wellness center; a conference center; a hotel; and daycare facilities.