Take one small town, one popular restaurant and one menu change and it’s a recipe for talk. At the heart of it all? Wings. Yes, wings. Or more appropriately, the lack of wings. One day after popular Snoqualmie restaurant, Finaghty’s Irish Pub, debuted it’s new menu, the only question on patrons’ minds was, “Where’s the wings?” Or more appropriately, “Where’s the happy hour wings?”
The wings were still on the regular menu, but disappeared off Finaghty’s popular happy hour menu. A happy hour menu that recently won the restaurant “Best Happy Hour” in the Valley Record’s annual “Best of the Valley” poll. And a happy hour where we can take our four kids and not break the bank.
I will admit, I was one of the regulars missing my happy hour wings after our visit last Friday. Yes, I know there are more important things to whine about, but I still whined to owner Phil Stafford. Before you judge me, I was not the only one whining!
Phil Stafford says, “After one day of feedback from our first day of changes, we added the wings back on our happy hour menu.” You can now get 6 wings for $5 during happy hour.
The basic jist of Finaghy’s new happy hour menu is simplicity. There’s about 7 choices, all for $5. This is a change from the old happy hour when all of the small plate menu items were half price. Finaghty’s also made another important change based on customer feedback. They expanded happy hour by adding a second session from 9PM to close.
Phil adds, “We plan on keeping our happy hour menu flexible so we will mix things up each month and offer different specials for happy hour. One thing that we are considering adding is happy hour personal pizzas.”
Finaghty’s had not changed its menu in over 4 years. They hadn’t increased prices either, even while absorbing two state-mandated employee wage increases, additional fuel surcharges from distributors and utility increases over the years. The new menu features some new items and some changes to menu classics. With the changes, owners say Finaghy’s should be set for another 4 years.
“We are getting great feedback on just about all of the new dishes and some of the changes we have made to the ‘old’ classics. We spent a long time working on these menu items and recipes and are proud of what we have done. It was long over due.” says Phil.
Yes, Snoqualmie loves its wings – especially at a discount price. Change is never easy – abundantly apparent when loyal customers lose their favorite happy hour item. Customers love their wings so much Finaghty’s was (literally) losing money on the happy hour half-priced wings. Long-time waitress, Rochelle, says she’s glad wings made it back to happy hour. She said without them, that first day the new menu debuted, customers walked out. They were there for the happy hour wings.
Luckily Finaghty’s owners didn’t judge our happy hour wing obsession. They just added them back to the menu. Thanks Phil and Lisa!
