After 20 Years As Waltham's Mad Raven, Pub To Reopen As Tessie's

WALTHAM, MA — After some 20 years on Main Street, The Mad Raven is getting a makeover. The Irish pub has been closed since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, and like many restaurants and businesses has had to rethink its future.

Owner Mark McAuliffe told the licensing commission recently that he was planning to reopen the bar as Tessie's West. McAuliffe runs both The Raven's Nest and Tessie's in Walpole.

"We're pretty excited about it," he said. "It's going to be good, it's going to be alive, for sure."

It's not clear if there will be any major renovations at the pub at 841 Main St, or just when it will reopen. The owner told the commission that he planned to keep the same hours. Patch has reached out to McAuliffe.

The Mad Raven Pub & Restaurant has specialized in upscale pub fare, while Tessie's boasts handcrafted burgers and locally sourced farm fresh chopped salads.

There's no word of the change on McAuliffe's restaurants' social media. The last post on the Mad Raven Facebook page is wishing a happy Fourth of July.

On the Mad Raven's website, a note in March announces the restaurant is set to be shut down on March 17, because of the pandemic. It would be the first time in 20 years the pub did not celebrate St. Patrick’s day, it said.

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