After Nearly Two Years, Proctor’s New Pub Is Finally Opening

For nearly two years, the house at 2717 N. Proctor St. has offered a tantalizing promise: a new pub is coming. This week, The Snug Family Pub finally welcomed its first guests. Owners Paul and Andrea Evans opened the family-friendly Irish-American spot on Tuesday, September 22.

The opening is deliberately small to start. The Snug is serving guests from 3 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, September 22–24, before announcing a grand-opening date and regular hours. The owners encourage guests to reserve a table through the link on the pub’s Facebook page.

The building is part of the attraction. The Evanses have spent nearly two years reworking the Proctor house, giving its exterior a new look and creating several distinct places to gather inside. The main dining area and a cozy Snug Room are downstairs; upstairs are a lounge and a seating area called the Lookout. There’s also a secluded, heated patio.

The name comes from the Irish pub tradition of a snug: a smaller, more private space set apart from the main room. The Evanses have described their larger goal as a welcoming place for friends, individuals and families to spend time together.

For Paul Evans, this project is personal. Andrea told Tacoma Weekly in 2024 that he had dreamed of opening an Irish pub since before they met. His family’s Irish roots helped inspire the idea, while his father, the late Bill Evans, had a deep connection to Proctor and had previously remodeled the same building.

That history stretches beyond one address. Bill and Ann Evans opened the Old House Café in the building, and Ann’s original Proctor Mercantile also occupied the space before moving across the street. The new pub adds another chapter to a place many longtime neighbors already know.

The Evanses had once hoped to open in 2024, but the work grew into a much larger renovation. Andrea told The News Tribune that the couple reconsidered the building’s layout after discovering that upgrades to the second story would require a broader overhaul to meet current requirements and fit their vision.

What will be on the plate? The pub has described its approach as Irish-American, but it had not published a current menu as of its opening announcement. Earlier ideas included pub fare with a few unusual twists; those plans shouldn’t be mistaken for confirmed opening-week dishes.

For neighbors who have watched the work unfold, this week offers the first chance to see how it all came together. The limited opening runs through Thursday, September 24, from 3 to 8 p.m. Check The Snug’s Facebook page for reservations and its eventual regular schedule.