Enterprising Irish: Kevin Kearns

Kevin Kearns, originally from Carndonagh, Co. Donegal, is the owner of The Auld Fella pubs in Los Angeles. The Auld Fella is an Irish joint in the heart of Culver City.

Since taking residence in fall 2019 they have become the standard bearer for legendary Irish hospitality and friendly service in Los Angeles. They have re-imagined the Irish pub experience for today.

While tipping a respectful cap to those that have gone before, they have created an authenticity loved place that is enjoyed by everyone.

Learn more about Kevin's journey

"Hi, I’m Kevin Kearns. I’m the owner-operator of The Auld Fella pubs. I’m from Carndonagh, Co. Donegal originally.

I moved to California in 1995 having spent 5 years in London. I moved to San Francisco in 1996 and began studying acting in 1998 which led to the beginnings of a 20 year professional creative journey.

I began bartending on returning to LA in 2000 so that I could make my living at night while keeping my days free for auditioning and shooting. Yes, the proverbial LA stereotype. I decided in 2019 to pursue a long held dream of starting my own bar. The business plan pretty much wrote itself as I’d been in the business a long time.

Great food and cocktails served with an Irish welcome in a thoughtfully curated space with great live music. The Los Angeles Irish community is very supportive of each other and they definitely showed up for us.

We opened just four months before COVID hit and it was challenging to say the least.

That was followed by the riots and shortly thereafter the production strike/shutdown then the fires and now the economic uncertainty and high labor and food costs keep us guessing.

Having the support of our locals, both Irish and American has been imperative in us staying in business and thriving when possible. It has been a labor of love and a great source of pride to be able to offer others help and support during these tough times as well as a place of refuge from the storm.

I feel that our American customers truly appreciate our Irish hospitality and are very loving and loyal. I love LA and I’d highly recommend anyone with a vision and determination to come on in and join the Frey.

There’s a lot of entrepreneurial creativity here and it shows in our diverse diaspora. The one message I give to our American guests is to go and visit Ireland while they still can."

- Kevin Kearns

Follow The Auld Fella on Instagram: @auldfellala
Check out the Auld Fella's website: theauldfella.com