Local Couple Reopens The Shelby Bar

The Shelby Bar … Not the old Shelby … The NEW Shelby Bar.

It’s the same location and same family ties but with a whole new look and flavor.

It has the same hometown feel and a long history of celebration and tradition but with updated décor and upscale food offerings.

The bar’s new owners Bob and Tina Kennedy said their establishment is a place that is family friendly.

“Families can now bring their kids in for lunch and enjoy a game together,” Tina said. “We have also made the commitment to be non-smoking. We felt it was very important to promote this.”

Tina said the couple is in the process of building a patio for customers to enjoy during the warm months and to have a place to smoke that will be covered and heated in the winter months. Family is a big thing at the Shelby.

The bar has been a community gathering place since 1984 when Charlie and Donna Mirante opened its doors.

Justine Zito, the niece of the Kennedys and great niece of the Mirantes said it was a big part of her childhood, teenage years, adult years, and now she serves as the manager of the Shelby.

“I hold so many memories and milestones in that bar.”

She said it is a true family establishment which extended outward to the community.

“Over the course of being open, customers became family,” Zito said.

For Zito it was truly a place she could call home, but then her Aunt Donna died in 2012, and Uncle Charlie kept the bar open for seven years after her death before deciding to close the doors.

“I was heartbroken,” Zito said. “I had no idea where I would go … there was nowhere I could go and feel that comfortable.”

Zito said she would stop into the Shelby daily to say hello and to grab a can of pop and bag of chips from her mom, Charmain Zito (new owner Bob’s sister), who began working at the Shelby at 18 years old as a waitress then as a bartender. She still bartends there today.

According to Zito, she celebrated her 21st birthday, college graduation, and many other achievements within the walls of the family bar. She also recalls working at the Shelby during different chapters of her life.

“I hold so many memories and milestones in that bar,” she said. “I could never let it end without a fight. I love that place too much.”

And at just the right time, Justine Zito’s drive to keep the bar up and running paid off as her Aunt and Uncle Bob and Tina decided to give it a go.

“My uncle said he had always wanted to own a bar,” Zito said. “Those two made me so happy and I am very grateful for them.”

Tina and Bob said they could not imagine opening a bar in any other town. The couple lives in Ellwood City. Bob grew up in Ellwood City and Tina in nearby Freedom.

“Ellwood has a great vibe,” Tina said. “The community in Ellwood likes to support each other and we wanted to be part of that. We also wanted to bring back to life a business that has been in the community for over 65 years.”

The couple purchased the bar in February 2020 and opened the doors on October 18, 2020.

According to Tina, she and Bob always wanted to own a bar/restaurant and although opening in the middle of a pandemic has been challenging, the couple said the community backing has kept them going.

“We took a leap of faith and jumped with both feet,” Tina said. “We have had a lot of family and community support so we feel very fortunate.”

Uncle Charlie still visits the Shelby frequently and “old” regulars have made their way back as well as “new” regulars.

“I have met a lot of new cool people,” Zito said. “It’s an exciting thing to see new faces in a place that’s been a part of me for so long. So new Shelby or old Shelby, it will always be ‘the bee’ to me.”

Watching the building’s transformation and the excitement of the community was a motivating factor for the Kennedys and the Zitos and helped them during the year-long wait to officially open.

“Everyone that has come in is amazed at the new appearance and that alone makes it all worth it,” Tina said.

Zito said the renovations were her favorite part of the process and the Kennedys included her on all the decisions.

“I was actually flattered they cared so much about my opinion, and I love the way it turned out,” Zito said.

Zito said although the look of the bar has changed quite a bit, it still has her favorite fixtures … her mom behind the bar and her great uncle Charlie on a bar stool.

Besides libations that will make mouths water, the Shelby offers some scrumptious sandwiches and small bites to enjoy while gathering with friends at the bar or for takeout.

“We provide fresh deli sandwiches that are not found at any restaurant in Ellwood,” Tina said. “We use Boar’s meat and Beadwork’s bread and we make all our sauces in house.”

One of those deli sandwiches is a fried bologna, and it’s named the Mirante after Uncle Charlie, who loves fried bologna.

When you hear the words: The Shelby, Tina and Bob want you to think of a gathering place for good food, fun times and great friends. The Kennedys and Zitos are looking forward to the future and what it will bring. Currently they are looking to fill a cook position.

“We want to be a place people continually want to come back to for the food, atmosphere and the people,” Tina said. “We want everyone and anyone to feel welcome.”

Zito agrees.

”I think the Shelby will be around for a long time,” Zito said. “The shelby is more than just a business that’s been in the community for over 65 yrs. For me, it’s way more than that.”

For more information about The Shelby, visit them on Facebook and Instagram.

The kitchen hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and the bar hours are 11 a.m. to “last call.”