Crowley’s, an Irish and Croatian dive bar known for its smash burgers, will be opening a location on Fairmount Circle in summer 2025. According to a video posted on the official John Carroll University Instagram, the bar will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. At 10 p.m., the restaurant will convert into a fully operational bar for students 21 years and up.

Founded in 2023 by McPat Coyne, Seamus Coyne, David Bartulovic and Brendan Kearney, Crowley’s serves smash burgers, wings, chili, hot dogs and gyros. They are also known for their extensive beer selection. 

The bar is named after Thomas Crowley, an Irishman who was killed in 1995 while fighting in the Croatian War of Independence. This blend of cultures defines the aesthetics of the restaurant’s locations Eastlake, Kirtland and soon-to-be Painesville. The University Heights restaurant will serve as the restaurant’s fourth location and mark the return of the alumni owners to the Heights community. 

With the closest bar to JCU being O’Reilly’s Pub & Grille, which is approximately a 19-minute walk that necessitates crossing Warrensville Center Road, the placement on Fairmount Circle next to Huntington Bank offers students a closer alternative. 

Lily Panning ’26 told The Carroll News, “It is going to be convenient having something so close. You don’t need to walk a significant distance or cross a busy street or figure out a ride somewhere where the driver may not be sober.”

John Oliverio ’25 reiterated this sentiment when he said, “Genuinely, I think having a bar on campus closer to dorms and stuff will be pretty good for the student body. No risks for Ubering or drunk driving and other associated risks.” 

While it is still to be determined whether or not students can pay with their meal plan, students are optimistic about this possibility. Sarah Hastings ’26 said, “It will be a great place to be able to have more variety in our meal plans alongside making it a great place to hangout with friends and other JCU community members on the weekends.”

More details surrounding the renovation and meal plans are still to be determined.