Owner retires but remains active with community outreach
Jim Loughran comes from a family of tavern owners, but when he purchased one himself, he had very little experience. After 36 years and five months, the owner of Loughran’s, in Salisbury Mills, has decided to step down and retire, but plans to remain active in the community.
“I can’t believe how hard it is,” Loughran said of retirement, “especially when you’re used to going seven days a week.”
The former owner remains committed to guiding new owners Jeremey and Koreena Rainato.
Loughran grew up in Beaver Dam Lake and graduated from John S. Burke Catholic High School. He attended Orange County Community College and after he graduated drove a truck for Pepsi for 14 years. Looking to get into the restaurant business, Loughran bought what was then Mecca, an Italian restaurant, as it was close to home. The restaurant was purchased in 1985 and was totally renovated before opening a year later.
While the attorneys took their time closing on the property, and through the renovation process, Loughran, who had no experience running such a business, got a job working in the kitchen for a restaurant in Middletown. While working there, he met Jeff Buteau, the restaurant’s sous chef. Loughran ended up hiring Buteau to be his head chef.
“My original idea was to open a place where people could go for a beer and a hamburger, but Jeff had other ideas. There wasn’t any place in the area at the time where you could sit at the bar and just order a burger or sandwich and a beer.”
Loughran’s opened featuring prime rib as its signature entree. The restaurant attempted a seafood menu, but it wasn’t received well by patrons.
Until he was able to hire more staff, Loughran regularly worked from 9 a.m. to midnight and handled the cooking, bartending, and cleaning.
Despite the name, Loughran’s wasn’t originally the Irish establishment it is now. When visitors kept referring to it as “the Irish place,” Loughran decided to rebrand the restaurant, five years after opening, calling it “the Hudson Valley’s happiest Irish pub.” The restaurant took off and added corned beef to its offerings, as well as Irish music. Of course, St. Patrick’s Day became the busiest day of the year.
The pandemic hit Loughran especially hard when he was forced to close the day before St. Patrick’s Day three years ago. The restaurant started offering family dinners for takeout and the community supported the effort.
Two years ago, Loughran hired a new chef and added a special Irish menu, something he admits should have been done 10 or 20 years ago.
During his tenure as owner, Loughran didn’t just use the restaurant to feed the community, he also gave back by sponsoring fund raisers such as the Day of the Races (which benefited the Washingtonville Ambulance Corps), Tour de Loughran’s, and the Fall Foliage Tour to Benefit McQuade’s Children’s Services. He also led ski trips to Lake Placid every January and canoe trips in the Adirondacks.
In 2016, Loughran was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer and later liver cancer. Combined with being 73-years-old and having had limited time off from work, he attempted to sell the restaurant shortly before the pandemic. Unfortunately the sale fell through, but it was put back on the market and within a week was purchased by the Rainatos.
In retirement, Loughran plans to help out the new owners while continuing to contribute to the community. He mentioned helping out the Salisbury Mills Fire Department, local food pantries, and the Unity Center in Newburgh.