The Joyce Irish Pub, a pub and restaurant specializing in traditional Irish fare with some modern twists, has opened in the Villages at Brunswick Forest.
 
Owner Scott Moore is a partner at Slainte’s Monkey Junction and Southport locations. According to The Joyce general manager Patrick Gaynor, Moore has been looking to expand and the growing retail and professional hub at Brunswick Forest seemed like the right fit.
 
The Joyce offers 26 beers on tap, a large variety of whiskey and homemade Irish cream. The menu includes traditional Irish dishes as well as appetizers, sandwiches and burgers. Gaynor said some of the most popular items during the first week of opening have been the duck wings, the pork skin nachos, and the bacon-jam-glazed meatloaf prepared by chef Garrett Swain.
 
Moore will also be bringing his Flights craft beer and wine bar concept to the Villages. Flight’s in Southport closed this past week and will reopen next door to The Joyce in the next month or so, said Gaynor, who also manages Slainte in Southport.
 
“Flights just didn’t do as well in Southport as we had hoped but that may well have been due to the fact that it was off the beaten path,” Gaynor said. “The concept is better suited to an area like the Villages.”
 
Gaynor describes Flights as having a more feminine feel than the Joyce, with craft beer, boutique wines and small plates.
 
The Villages at Brunswick Forest will host a grand opening for all new businesses June 15, but Gaynor was uncertain as to whether or not Flights would be open in time.
 
“It’s a challenge just to get one restaurant up and running so we want to be sure the Joyce is running smoothly before opening Flights,” Gaynor said.
 
The Joyce Irish Pub is located at the Villages at Brunswick Forest, 1333 S. Dickinson Drive in Leland.
 
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