Dover’s Quiet Man fixed after car crashed

DOVER The Quiet Man owner Frank Burke sat at the bar enjoying his Manhattan clam chowder Monday and admiring his newly repaired establishment, finally complete after a car drove through the restaurant in June.

“It came in here at what must have been 75 miles per hour,” said Burke, 86. “I was getting out of my car when it happened, and I saw bodies flying by me.”

The crash happened on June 17 just before the restaurant opened for the day. A black Volkswagen Jetta sedan traveling east on Route 46 made a sudden turn directly into the Quiet Man entrance, located just off the roadway. The three teenagers in the car were all taken to the hospital for serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

The driver, Isaiah Williams, 18, of Dover, has since been charged with possession of less than 50 grams of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and reckless driving.

Waitress Carolyn Carlson had entered the pub minutes before the cash.

“I just came into the bar from outside when I heard a loud noise. My co-worker thought it was an explosion. It was terrifying,” Carlson said. “Things kept falling down from the ceiling. We grabbed our purses and got the heck out of there.”

Carlson said she heard two loud crashes. The first was the car hitting the building, and the second was a large portion of the ceiling collapsing.

Though the popular pub’s Route 46 entrance, its dining room and the front seating area near the bar sustained heavy damage, The Quiet Man reopened the day after the crash.

“The town allowed us to stay open through it all because they love the business,” Burke said. “But we lost a lot of tables during that time.”

Dover Administrator Don Travisano said town officials were on the scene “almost immediately” to ensure the pub was up and running as quickly as possible.

“The Quiet Man is an institution in Dover. Many parts of the state only know Dover for The Quiet Man,” Travisano said. “The town engineers, construction officials, code enforcement were there working as police and fire were still on scene. The town did what it would for any business in town. What happened was not their fault.”

While the building’s façade suffered irreparable damage, Travisano said there were no structural issues that would force the Quiet Man to close entirely.

But the O’Hara Room, the pub’s main dining area named after actress Maureen O’Hara, was shut down during repairs. Additional seating near the front of the bar area also was blocked off.

Burke said he lucked out that the crash and subsequent repairs happened during the summer, when he could move additional seating outside the restaurant because of  the warm weather and create a temporary O’Hara Room.

“Sidewalk seating is something we wish more businesses would explore,” Travisano said. “I hope The Quiet Man will lead the charge for others.”

Still, on a typical weekend day, Burke said the restaurant pulls in about $8,000, but during the past four months they were making about $2,000 due to lack of tables.

The bar has been doing about the same business, and loyal customers have stopped by to wish Burke and his staff well while enjoying a pint of Guinness or a classic Irish coffee.

Carlson said aside from a few days in September and the day of the crash, the restaurant never shut down, so she and other employees never lost shifts.

“Frank was very good to his employees,” Carlson said. “He made sure the waitresses pooled their tips and kept them all working even when the dining room was closed.”

Burke said due to the significant structural damage, repairs cost between $200,000 and $300,000, which he said insurance has so far covered. In all, permits, approvals, and construction took about four months to complete.

“That’s all behind us now. It seems like a long time ago, and out of it came something good,” Carlson said. “We’re happy things are back to normal.”

The O’Hara room is now rebuilt, with new ceilings, lamps rugs and floor. The front portion of the bar also was renovated, with the ceiling raised about a foot from where it was before the crash.

Memorabilia from the titular “Quiet Man” - the 1952 Ireland-set movie starring John Wayne and O’Hara after which the pub was named – still hangs on every wall in the restaurant.

The exterior of the building also is redone, with a fresh black and red paint job. Previously the exterior was painted eggshell white with black trim.

“I love it the way it is now,” Burke said. “It’s more beautiful than ever.”

The Quiet Man serves Irish pub fare like fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, scalloped potatoes, in addition to steaks and pastas. It is located at 64 E. McFarlan St..

Staff Writer Michael Izzo: 973-428-6636; mizzo@GannettNJ.com