In the year 2004, the Wharf Restaurant became our family business. This iconic gathering spot was the beloved Kafe before it became the Wharf decades ago. We took it over from the generous McGroarty family, welcoming the challenge to develop our people skills along with the culinary and renovation demands. And Will Coogan, 30 years old, had returned from eight eventful acting years in Los Angeles to take the helm. Our goal: to continue the Wharf’s appeal to year-round residents, part-time Islanders and visitors.

A family who first came here in the early 1900s and settled here permanently in the 1970s, we had reached out to so many communities Island-wide as teachers, lawyers, coaches and public servants. The sailors, the fishermen, the hard-working businesses keeping the Island safe and solvent, we believed we could thank them by offering a second home with our own version of an Irish pub.

To the left of the front door is our sports bar, replete with every athletic tribute as wall decor, our tireless bartenders very present, often born and raised on the Island. A back room with a high boat-like ceiling, three mirrors in a handsome bar reflecting the patrons happy to be there. Nautical lamps, side wall fish sculptures, an altar in memory of Jaws in the 70s with accompanying photos taken back in the day, starring one of our managers as child actor, who at 60 years of age, still works at The Wharf. Thanks to Jaws, he owns his own home and still shares the space with employees in need. Quite a contrast to our present dilemma, when a potential employee cannot find a closet to live in.

This summer, this same back room, a favorite for tributes, trophies and parties, has been cleared of movable furniture, leaving the space open for music and dancing. This creates enthusiasm for the young and flexible but commands serious clean up the following mornings. The infrastructure for the entertainment menu survives with plumbers, electricians and septic expertise, often not available when a crisis occurs. When these incredible life savers do magically appear to save the night, it is like manna from heaven.

There are no televisions in the main dining area. There are comfortable booths with green leather cushions, current Vineyard landscapes, vintage water photographs from the 1920s, and small watercolor prints of various menu covers from 2004 onward. In the front corner is an aerial photo view of the Martha’s Vineyard Museum the winter before its phenomenal renovation.

The restaurant’s hours have been a long labor of love in spite of the pressure, the fatigue and the drama. Even before Covid, chefs came and went, dishwashers lost their energy, servers would embrace their role, then suddenly need time off. When the pandemic hit, our ship stopped sailing. It has taken financial ingenuity and pure grit to survive with a spare staff, a seriously pared down menu and an uncertain future. Unlike the 80’s and the 90’s when restaurants were humming, budget and staffing constraints loom like an albatross.

There are seven grandkids in our family, now 11 to 18 years old. They learned their table manners at the Wharf, slurping their Shirley Temples, gnawing on their last French fry, commiserating with the lobsters in the tank. Their fingertips leave indelible prints on the green leather cushions, marking the passage of time.

It is now summer of 2022. We began here in 2004. We continue to hone our entertainment skills, to provide an atmosphere of welcome and reprieve, trusting our reputation will stand the test of time.