Obituary: Remembering Dick Kelly

Dick and Jean Kelly, sitting in Kelly’s Depot Bar, February 2017. (Photo: Nigel Parry)

Richard “Dick” Kelly, owner of the now-shuttered Kelly’s Depot Bar for almost 30 years, passed away on July 12, 2019 at his home at the age of 76. In this feature, we remember Dick, and enclose an article written about him and his wife Jean in 2017, as well as copies of the memorial booklet and program from the visitation and mass that took place on July 19, 2019, at the Church of St. Joseph, in West St. Paul, Minnesota.

A wee bit of Irish in the heart of St. Paul

Kelly’s Depot Bar is more than just a watering hole

By Nigel Parry, Contributor, Downtown Saint Paul Voice, Vol.23, No. 3, March 2017

The original article, as it appeared in the Downtown Saint Paul Voice in March 2017. Click to enlarge.

Kelly’s Depot Bar at the corner of Wacouta and Kellogg Boulevard is a neighborhood phenomenon. Since 1989, the restaurant and bar has been operated by the Kelly family, which has a long association with bars and alcohol crafting in both the United States and on the Green Isle.

Today, it is owned and operated by Dick and Jean Kelly. Dick’s great grandparents were the first generation to make the trip from County Cork, Ireland to the United States. After emigrating, Kelly’s grandfather worked in a local whiskey distillery during Prohibition making moonshine for neighbors— “but only enough to feed his family,” said Jean with a sparkle in her eyes.

At the end of the 1980s, Jean said Kelly’s was a working man’s bar. “When Dick took over from his brother in 1991 he started offering food,” she said. Jean worked as a chemical mixer at Gillette for 32 years before retiring in 1999 to help Dick run the bar.

When asked how many bars he has operated over the years, Dick took a long time to respond, eventually hazarding a guess at “maybe twenty.”

Kelly’s is most definitely an Irish pub but the family’s exposure to Dick’s homeland happened in an unlikely manner. On July 4, 2000, the Kelly’s met a couple from Ireland who happened by their bar during a walk through the city. That chance encounter signaled the beginning of a friendship that ultimately blossomed into two trips to Europe and Ireland for Dick and Jean. It also gave Jean a chance to visit Germany, the country of her ancestors.

As expected, Kelly’s sees floods of customers during local Irish events, such as the Saint Patrick’s Day parade and the Irish Fair at Harriet Island. The Saint Paul Saints games and other events at CHS Field, neighborhood festivals like Northern Spark, and events at the nearby Union Depot also spark similar rushes.

Kelly’s last St. Patrick’s Day, 2019. (Photo: Nigel Parry)

During light rail construction, Kelly’s was one of the few Lowertown businesses that uncharacteristically benefited. During lunch, every seat in the place was occupied by construction workers. The bar is also a favorite of the local arts community, a group Dick doesn’t want to lose.

“I hope they keep rent down enough,” he said of re-gentrification developments in Lowertown. “I’d hate to lose the artists. They’re what Lowertown is all about.”

In the adjoining lot to Kelly’s parking lot, construction is underway on a new 70-unit market rate rental complex.

“The new building is going to block light out [for the 262 and Lowertown Lofts artist coops],” said Dick. “It’s going to be six stories high, with two floors of parking underground.”

During the summer, Kelly’s has a patio and caters to Saints fans. The bar offers $10 parking during Saints games, but that amount can be applied toward a food and drink tab.

“We want people to visit us and see what we offer,” said Dick.

More than one long-time Lowertown resident has referred to Kelly’s as their “second living room.” It’s the kind of bar where if you go alone, you’ll end up seeing a ton of people you know. Kelly’s offers a full line of cocktails, draft beer and wine, and standard bar fare in the $7-8 per entrée range. The popular $7.50 turkey Thursday lunch special has been around as long as anyone can remember.

Apparently, the secret to their success is simple.

“We have good food, good service and friendly people,” said Dick. “It’s kind of like Cheers—where everybody knows your name.”