Lewis feels ‘lucky’ to finally own local establishment

East Providence native fulfills life-long aim with recent pub purchase

By Mike Rego
Posted 9/27/18

EAST PROVIDENCE — City native Billy Lewis agreed his tale is the classic case of “local boy makes good” as he sat inside Lucky’s Bar & Grille, the local establishment he recently purchased …

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Lewis feels ‘lucky’ to finally own local establishment

East Providence native fulfills life-long aim with recent pub purchase

Posted

EAST PROVIDENCE — City native Billy Lewis agreed his tale is the classic case of “local boy makes good” as he sat inside Lucky’s Bar & Grille, the local establishment he recently purchased with partner Kevin Costa, a resident of neighboring Seekonk.

“That’s what I would say, 100 percent,” Mr. Lewis, 47, said when asked if it was indeed the prototypical success story, of it being the fulfillment of a life-long dream.

Mr. Lewis traces his connection with Lucky’s back to its inception as its operations manager. He saw the business grow and thrive, then found himself losing interest and decided to step away.

“I was involved originally,” he explained. “We opened up in April of 2010 and I managed the place until 2016. I figured I’d get out the business because I was sick of it. After three months of hanging around in Manhattan, Brooklyn, that area helping a buddy of mine out, I decided to come back here. Helped a few of my friends at a place on Douglas Ave. And then the ones who owned this place decided to sell and they asked me if I wanted to buy it. And that was it. They knew I wanted it.

“I think I just needed a break from the business. I wanted to see what else was out there, but when you’re used to going to bed every morning at 3 or 4 it’s a little tough to get a day job. It’s a different world. It really is. And after you’ve done it for 25 years it’s a really difficult thing to change.”

“It was the worst-kept secret that I was buying it,” Mr. Lewis said of his purchase, adding he knew his time had come to take over ownership.

“This is what I want. This is what I set out for. And this is what I’m going to stick with,” he continued. “The community is just so supportive of a local place. As long as you give them a comfortable atmosphere, good food decently priced and a staff that treats them like gold, they’ll come. It’s the staff here that made the place and will continue to make the place.”

Things moved relatively quickly once both sides understood interest in the transaction was mutual.

“We purchased the land, the building, Lucky’s,” Mr. Lewis, a Riverside resident, said prior to opening one day two weeks ago. “We had the closing September 1…They closed the place in late August and we re-opened on September 12.”

Mr. Lewis admitted to being overcome by a bit of emotion upon opening the business back up for the first time that night.

“The people of East Providence and Seekonk…They’re great people, very loyal, very supportive,” he said.

It took a locally-owned institution to show the same kind of vigor to bring Mr. Lewis’ vision to fruition, which is what Pawtucket Credit Union became, the Rhode Island-based lender supplying the necessary means for him to make his effort financially feasible.

“They treated me well. I went through the SBA (Small Business Administration), which in turn hooked me up with Pawtucket Credit Union. They made sure I had everything ready to go, and to do next door as well.”

The existing Lucky’s has 2,800 square feet of space. The former laundromat avails the business to an additional 1,900 sf.

“We want to take next door, the old laundromat, and turn it into a private room. It’s called a ‘snug.’ A snug is what they used to call a private room off an Irish pub,” Mr. Lewis said, harkening back days gone by. “Originally it was where the local politicians, priests would go hide out, so they wouldn’t have to be seen getting inebriated. It can hold about 40, 50 people. We’re going to use it for private parties, things like that.”

In Mr. Lewis’ mind, adding the “snug” and remodeling Lucky’s slightly will return it to its original intent.

“We’re going to put it back to the way it was, which means a true, Irish pub,” he said. “You can come in here and feel comfortable. You can come in here with your family. You can come in here after business. You can come in here with a date. Or you can come in here and just sit by yourself and have a drink at the bar and always feel welcome.”

Mr. Lewis continued, “It lost its identity. They took down the separation of the bar, opened up the dining room, which in turn didn’t make the families feel as comfortable, which in turn meant when you sat at the bar you were on display. It just lost its identity. It became more of a cafeteria. That’s what it really was, but I don’t want to badmouth anybody.”

Though offering up a critique, the new owner nonetheless still lauded the efforts of his predecessors in creating a prosperous business, saying he can only wish to have as thriving an endeavor as they did.

“It’s been very successful. I just think the owners got tired, got bored. In fact, I know they did. And once that happens, there’s no fun in it. And once you lose the enjoyment, it’s over. And that’s why I wanted to own the place. I want to do this. It can be very successful, and it has. And, hopefully, it will again,” Mr. Lewis said, as he superstitiously knocked on a wood tabletop.

To achieve his desired result, the paying public must return. With that in mind, Mr. Lewis had one simple message to his potential clientele.

“We’re back open for business,” he said. “We’re putting the menu back to the way it was. We’re putting the building back together the way it was. And we will be again that community-based, local pub where everyone will feel comfortable.”

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MIKE REGO

Mike Rego has worked at East Bay Newspapers since 2001, helping the company launch The Westport Shorelines. He soon after became a Sports Editor, spending the next 10-plus years in that role before taking over as editor of The East Providence Post in February of 2012. To contact Mike about The Post or to submit information, suggest story ideas or photo opportunities, etc. in East Providence, email mrego@eastbaymediagroup.com.