Utica mainstay Duffy's to evolve but not be forgotten

Utica residents will have a chance to order Chicago's best burger in their hometown.

The new owners of Duffy's — Luke Goucher and Nicole Foote-Goucher, brothers Dane and Gavin Male (pronounced Maylee) and Brandon Harris — also own Lodi Tap House in Maple Park, which recently won WGN TV's Chicago's Best Burger of 2018.

The five new owners of the iconic pub at 101 Mill St., Utica, took over from former owners Lisle and Pat Elsbury on Dec. 27. They opened to the public on Dec. 30.

Honor the old, in with the new

The business won't permanently keep the name Duffy's.

“Duffy's won't be an Irish tavern anymore,” Dana Male said. “We plan to transition Duffy's to Lodi Tap House after our final St. Patrick's Day is celebrated at Duffy's. But after the transition, we'll do what we do so well and that's be a place where people can dine and drink in a comfortable place. But we'll never forget how it all got started.”

Duffy's Tavern opened in 1972. The business has been a Utica mainstay for 46 years, and the partners intend to honor that longevity.

In honor of the business' history, Luke Goucher said he and his co-owners plan an Irish wake for Duffy's.

An old Celtic custom, at a wake, mourners would keep vigil over their dead until they were buried. But an Irish wake is a party, a celebration of a person's life with friends and relatives who gather together to eat, drink, laugh and cry with shared memories.

“We'll send Duffy's out in style,” Goucher said. “... We'll honor the long history and also celebrate our hope of making new memories and traditions in this special building."

The venue soon will feature 10 Direct TV televisions and a new menu that includes new flavors plus some of Duffy's favorites.

A limited-time menu, available through March, will include Duffy's staples like the reuben and tenderloin sandwiches and chicken parmesan melt, among others. Customers also can dine on fresh-to-order steak, ribs, three pasta dishes, salads and late-night appetizers such as cheese sticks, deluxe nachos, deep-fried pickles and six types of chicken wings.

In April, the new Lodi menu will be available, which will include its signature award-winning burger, cheese curds and Duffy's famous reuben. Hundreds of Illinois craft beers, spirits, wines and mead also will be available, rotating on a monthly basis.

“We like to be known as being Illinois-centric,” Goucher said. “We take pride in using high-grade Illinois-produced food and drink. As a matter of fact, Lodi has been doing business with August Hill Winery and Tangled Roots Brewery for quite a while. We use as many local products as we can. It's all about our communities.”

Drawn by history

The area's history and local residents' love of community stood out to the new owners as they made the decision to buy Duffy's. They said Lodi in Maple Park is not that different from Duffy's, both located in small communites.

“We were all really happy when we first saw Duffy's,” said Alison Kane, office manager. “It's huge compared to our Maple Park location and that's just really exciting for us.”

Goucher also has personal links to the area.

“There are a lot of reasons why we're so excited to become a part of Utica's business community,” he said. “There's a lot of family history in the area. My wife grew up in Putnam County and we have family and friends in the Illinois Valley. Nicole and I got married in Starved Rock. We all love this area.”

Goucher said the partners love history.

“Utica just screams history to us. As a matter of fact, we came up with the name Lodi because it was the town's name from 1865 to 1880 before becoming Maple Park. I was so interested, there's a platt of Lodi in the tap house. I'm planning on getting a platt of Utica for here as well.”

Male said the plan is to grow.

“When Lodi first opened in Maple Park (about an hour away), it was a very small community,” he said. “After two years, it's grown to include several new businesses. So that's one of the reasons why we're so excited to be here. Utica is a small but vibrant community, one that will grow, and we're lucky to be here, to watch and be a part of it all.”

Goucher said Duffy's is the group's second restaurant venture. Their third business, Obscurity, which will be a brewery, meadery and barbecue restaurant in Elburn, will open in the spring.

A sense of community

Groups like the Rocket Flyers and other community groups meet monthly in Duffy's back room. The new owners said they'd be honored to continue that tradition.

“Lisle told us about the groups that meet here,” Goucher said. “We thought that was great and we want to continue that back room tradition. As a matter of fact, we're planning on refinishing the upstairs for private parties and other community events.”

Another big part of their plan is to help the community by giving back or paying it forward.

“Something we love to do is donate to area charities,” Male said. “Every month we hold a special event at Lodi, and 10 percent of all money goes to a different charity. That's really important to all of us, and we intend to do the same here.

“There are so many exciting things about being here that I can't even tell you. The idea we can have fun and give back to what is now our community is just a great thing for us.”

To go

Duffy's/Lodi Tap House, 101 Mill St., Utica, is open seven days a week. Currently, off-season hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.