Irish Tavern To Replace First Printer

Kennedy’s Public House, a local Irish and American tavern, plans to open a Harvard Square branch to replace The First Printer Restaurant at its 15 Dunster St. location.

Kennedy’s, which is owned by the same company as Tommy Doyle’s, will reintroduce Irish cuisine to the Square after Tommy Doyle's closed in December.

The establishment serves classic American and Irish bar cuisine, with entrees ranging from $12 sandwiches to $24 pork chops. Specialties include buttermilk fried chicken and waffles, and lobster pot pie.

According to Denise A. Jillson, executive director of the Harvard Square Business Association, Kennedy’s managers moved into the Dunster St. location about three months ago and have already begun the process of transitioning ownership from First Printer.

“The new management for Kennedy’s has been here operating out of First Printer for a few months already,” Jillson said. “They brought in their team and they started almost as soon as they arrived.”

Representatives of the new establishment, which will be called Kennedy’s on the Square, will go before the Cambridge License Committee on Feb. 27 to request a transfer of the liquor license from the First Printer to Kennedy’s.

If approved, the liquor license will allow Kennedy’s to remain open until 1 a.m. every day and give the establishment 72 seats.

Although First Printer has yet to close its doors, some students said they will miss the restaurant, which has served Harvard Square for the last two years.

First Printer served modestly priced flatbreads and more expensive dinner fare, in a colonial American atmosphere that references the building’s history as the home of America’s first printing press.

“I love First Printer. I’ve had only good experiences there,” Katherine E. Pinkas '16 said. “I like that it’s a really central location, real cheap and good food, a nice atmosphere and environment.”

The surrounding area will see several major changes in the coming months, including construction on the Smith Campus Center and the arrival of Mike’s Pastries, which will open a new location only a few doors down from Kennedy’s this spring.

—Staff writer Ivan B. K. Levingston can be reached at Ivan.Levingston@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter @IvanLevingston.

—Staff writer Celeste M. Mendoza can be reached at Celeste.Mendoza@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @CelesteMMendoza.