Newmans Corner Pub

from DDC_Hampshire Area Chamber Guide_2023

Pingree Grove

Newman’s Corner Pub is a fast-rising star in the social circles of Hampshire, bringing live entertainment and communitybuilding events to their corner of the Village.

The welcoming, neighborly hotspot is owned by Jeff Nawrocki and his business partner, Mike Gallo, and is managed by Sue Castle.

After the partners purchased the bar, Sue Castle stayed on, along with a few of the bartenders, and the establishment began to seek new avenues for their success.

“We knew that Hampshire didn’t have a lot of entertainment.

Being a bar without any food service, we had to find our niche,” Nawrocki said.

They found their niche by bringing in new ideas and trying anything and everything to bring in a crowd.

“(Jeff and Mike) really let me go with what my vision was for this place, which was a very friendly, female oriented, ‘make some memories and have a good time’ type of feel,” Castle said.

They began bringing in live music and entertainment and hosting parking lot parties during the pandemic so people could get out and enjoy a good time in the open air.

“We took it to the extreme. In the summertime, we have parking lot parties with a band, and we try to have bands whenever we can,” she said.

They host a chili cookoff each year and have special guest bartenders, like the village presidents from Hampshire and Burlington, to raise funds for local charities.

“My attitude is that I want people to have a blast and if they do, we’ve done our job. We are not who we are without the customers, the city and the trustees,” Nawrocki said.

“We have fundraisers and (Jeff’s) down for anything in a good way,” says Castle. “We have lots of live entertainment and karaoke and it’s really become a neighborhood family.”

The vibe at Newman’s is fun and relaxed, and there is an emphasis on being supportive of the community with a giveback attitude that is contagious. One of their favorite ways to give back is to veterans.

Near the entrance to the bar hangs an American flag adorned with sticky notes. The frame around the flag was custom made by one of their patrons from one of the old buildings in town. It is a piece they use to help support and thank veterans.

“We like to celebrate our veterans every day,” Nawrocki said. “Every time I mention the flag, someone gives me a donation for the flag with messages and everything. We’ll give them a sticky note with their monetary donation on them and we put it on the flag. When a veteran comes in, they can pull one of the sticky notes off and get a free drink,” he said.

Newman’s has a donation jar on the bar, and every month, they pick a different charity in which to donate.

“We’re doing a fundraiser in a couple of weeks where the bartender donates all her tips to two different charities. This fundraiser typically nets over $2,000 from our generous community,” Castle said.

Nawrocki loves his customers and is impressed by their generosity and love for the community.

“Our customer base is phenomenal,” he said. There is always something fun to do at Newman’s.

“We have free pool on Fridays, and in the summer, we typically have one parking lot party a weekend where we shut down a portion of the parking lot and we have bands or karaoke outside. We have a pool league in the fall,” Castle said.

Newman’s joined the Chamber of Commerce in 2021, after a few rocky pandemic years, and ever since, they have been supporting the Chamber and the community in whatever way they can.