OUR VERY OWN ‘CHEERS’
By Chris Wadsworth
The year was 1995. Three decades ago. “Toy Story” was one of the biggest movies of the year. The Atlanta Braves won their first World Series. And the “Macarena” song – and the silly dance – were a sensation. It was also the year that The Ashburn Pub opened in the Ashburn Village Shopping Center.
If we’re not mistaken, that makes it the oldest bar and restaurant still in operation in all of Ashburn.
“There was nothing else around here then,” said Kevin Bednarz, the Pub’s current owner. “The nearest bars were over in the hotels along 28.”
A little history: The Ashburn Pub was originally opened by Mark Eckert, and it was a Florida Gators bar. Eckert was a big Florida fan, and the original logo was an alligator in a chef’s hat. Today, there’s no particular team affiliation at the bar other than the local Washington teams – especially the Commanders.
The bar was also modeled after a traditional Irish pub, but you won’t find any bangers & mash on the menu. It’s an American bar through and through. “We do know how to pour a proper Guinness, though. That’s for sure,” Bednarz said.
Bednarz came on board in 2004 as a manager and bartender, and he and his wife, Jennifer, became the owners in 2008. The couple lives in Purcellville with their son and they opened a sister establishment – The Purcellville Pub – in 2019. They also have a restaurant there called Purcellville Eats!
In honor of the pub’s 30th anniversary, Ashburn Magazine sat down with Bednarz to learn more about its past – and its future.
Q: What’s the origin of the bar? You said it was originally opened by your buddy, Mark.
“Mark worked in a lot of restaurants as a general manager and as a bartender and his uncle Jack – whose picture is on the wall – left him some money when he passed to open up a bar. So along with his parents, Mark opened up and he planted his flag in Ashburn when there was nothing around. I mean the closest was probably Ruby Tuesday’s and the hotels near [Route] 28 were the only competition. And he was busy since day one – it just took off as the local neighborhood spot.”
Q: So many establishments, so many restaurants seem to open and close. Why do you think The Ashburn Pub has been the exception? Why has it lasted so long?
“I really think it’s hospitality. A robot can do service, right? You can go to a kiosk. It can take your payment and get you sauces. It can tell you the specials. But it’s the hospitality. One thing I learned from Mark was that people want a cold beer and a warm handshake. At The Ashburn Pub, it’s like ‘Cheers’ – everybody knows your name. Our bartenders know who’s coming by the car that parks in the parking lot. When that guy walks in, the Budweiser is waiting for him. The regulars become your family – that’s really just what it turned into.”
Q: You’ve been with The Ashburn Pub for 20-plus years. How has it changed and how has it stayed the same?
“It has changed technology-wise. I came aboard right when social media hit, and I think that’s something I brought to the table. But I heard a great quote from someone that said the more people become like the Jetsons the more the people like the Flintstones will flourish. What that means is nowadays people want a butcher. They want a good barber and a good haircut. And they want their local neighborhood bar. So, yeah, I’m posting stuff on Facebook and I’m doing reels. We’re updating our POS [point-of-sale] system. We’ve got DoorDash and we have the TVs and all that, but once all those tools get the customers in the door, it’s the human interaction. It’s knowing their kids’ names and knowing what they want to eat and making something special for someone at midnight when the kitchen’s closed. We will turn the fryer back on and throw some fries in because some guy had a long day.”
Q: How do you change and not change at the same time? That must be tough.
“I think it’s a combination. You’ve got to grow, right – you’ve got to be evolving. If you’re not growing, you’re dying. But we still are the neighborhood bar that has their Commanders games on. We’ve got Jell-O shots during the games. We’ve got half-price burgers on Thursday. We’ve done that for 30 years. Half-price wings on Friday – we’ve done that for 30 years. And sure, the menu has changed over the years, but there are still probably 10 items on the menu that were there in ’95. So, it’s a tough balance you know – to stay up-to-date and still be a little nostalgic.”
Q: From your perspective, what’s the best part of being a bar and restaurant owner?
“The best part is that every day is different and – for an owner – it’s really 24/7. Someone’s there closing at 1 a.m. The cleaning crew comes in at 3 a.m. The deliveries come in at 6 or 7 if they’re on time. And then we’re open for breakfast, so it’s 24 hours a day. It’s always on your mind, which can be a negative, but the great thing is every day is different. You might have a spirit night with a local team. A celebrity might come through the doors or a Commanders player or – oh my God – two people got sick and there’s a blizzard – I’ve got to go and cook. So, it’s thriving in chaos. I think anybody that loves this business loves thriving in the chaos.”
Q: On the flipside, what’s the toughest part of being a bar owner?
“You’re kind of in the spotlight, you know what I mean? Like everybody is your friend – which is good – but when you have hundreds and thousands of customers, it’s a lot of personalities. I used to leave there at 1 a.m. after a bartending shift and I wouldn’t even turn on my radio. I’d go home in silence. You could get really over-stimulated. Having to be ‘on’ – I think that’s probably the hardest thing. You have to be ‘on’ all the time.”
Q: What’s one of the most memorable moments for you from The Ashburn Pub?
“If you’ve ever seen the ski shots [Editor’s Note: where shot glasses are attached to a long ski and multiple people do a shot of liquor simultaneously while holding the ski] – we were the number one seller of Tuaca liquor for like five years straight. So, we actually went out and bought like nine skis. We hooked them together from out in the back parking lot to out the front door, and it was the world’s longest ski shot.”
Q: You get the occasional celebrity in here as well, right?
“One time I had an actor from [the classic 1976 film] ‘The Bad News Bears’ come in and guest bartend. It was David Stambaugh – he was doing a charity thing, and we became friends. The actor who played ‘Spaulding’ from the movie ‘Caddyshack’ has been here. Marcus Luttrell, the military guy that ‘Lone Survivor’ was based off – he’s been in here. All the Redskins coaches. Steve Spurrier. Tons of players. Nobody bothers them. I think that’s why they like to come in – because it’s just like, ‘Coach, have a good game.’ They’re not getting flocked for autographs.”
Q: Off the top of your head, what drink gets ordered the most at The Ashburn Pub?
“Back in the day, we were known for Tuaca. That’s run its course now. In the last couple years, it’s been Fireball. But Busch Light in the can has become the new staple and I can’t figure out why. All of a sudden over the last year or two it’s been crazy. Then you have the people that want Busch Apple now. They’re beating down the door for it. It’s unbelievable.”
Q: What menu item is the most popular?
“Probably the Beaver Wings, and they’re not from the beaver. It’s actually named for one of our regulars. Her last name was Beaver. She passed away, but she used to mix all the sauces together and drive us crazy. So, we would yell in the kitchen, ‘Hey, make those wings Beaver style,’ and then we figured out the recipe and we put them on the menu and now it’s become this whole thing.”
Q: What do you think is the biggest challenge facing restaurants in 2025?
“Staffing. I don’t want to say this millennial generation is lazy. I don’t think that’s true, but I think there’s more options, right? People can start businesses on YouTube. They can drive for DoorDash. I think a lot of that talent pool is doing other things and the enticement of being like the ‘rockstar bartender’ is not the same as it once was. So, we’re always looking for talent, but when you find talent and you get it, it’s great.”
Q: What do you think the next 30 years holds for The Ashburn Pub? You’ve got the Purcellville spot. Any plans to expand again?
“We recently just hired a new director of operations. I called him our first executive. He’s fantastic and that’s allowed us to work on the business instead of in the business – because lately me and my wife – we’re still working a lot. I’m fixing a dishwasher. She’s hosting. If the right space opens up, we would not be against opening another one. I don’t think I want to franchise, but you never say never. We just want to keep growing, but there’s no rush. Ashburn is the flagship, and it’s been really good to us for 20 years. I don’t think it’s ever going to go anywhere. It’s got roots – and Purcellville is on that path too. So, we’ve been really lucky. It’s all because of the customers, man. The customers are great.”
CELEBRATING 30 YEARS
The Ashburn Pub actually opened in August 1995. As the official anniversary approaches, Bednarz says he is planning a celebration to be held at the bar later this year. Keep your ears open for more details.