Austin Public in Forest Hills has permanently closed (Google Maps)
Jan. 6, 2022 By Allie Griffin
A Forest Hills gastropub that has been in the neighborhood for 10 years has closed its doors due to the ongoing pandemic.
The owners of Austin Public, located at 70-28 Austin St., announced Sunday that they have permanently closed the pub and have not renewed their lease.
“I would like to sincerely thank everyone for their support at Austin Public over the last 10yrs, we have made some great friendships and memories,” owners Declan Morrison and Johnny Moloney wrote on Instagram. “However, with our lease coming to an end, and Covid-19 showing no signs of letting up, we have made the hard decision to not renew our lease.”
The gastropub became a popular neighborhood watering hole for Forest Hills residents over the years with its large drink menu and classic American bar grub.
It also offered locals a place to go for a night out. The bar had dj sets Thursday through Saturday and karaoke on Sundays.
Austin Public — which was an Irish pub called The Flying Pig in its first iteration — also became a local favorite thanks to its daily happy hours with reduced drink prices.
Both Morrison and Moloney have moved onto other projects, according to their note.
Morrison runs the nearby Stacked Sandwich Shop, located at 68-60 Austin St., which he opened in March 2021, and Moloney operates a Manhattan bar called the John Doe Craft Bar & Kitchen.
2 Comments
This is such sad news, I loved their batch Pineapple Margaritas, sandwiches and the friendly neighborhood atmosphere. It will be certainly missed.??
Everything was great about Austin Public from the food to the drinks except for the wanna-be rappers who would mumble into the microphone over a song with lyrics playing on Karaoke night. Absolutely awful.