David Blakeley just happened to be in the right bar stool at the right time in 1979.
The previous owner of the basement bar on Georgia Avenue, which Blakeley said had become known as The Cellar, decided to sell it.
"I thought it would make for a good British pub," said Blakeley, who hails from Derby, England.
He scrubbed the place down, put some half-timber on the walls and opened for business.
Blakeley serves imported along with domestic beer and said he was the first pub in the area to erect dart boards.
A dart league now meets there on Monday nights.
Those are two things that set his British pub apart from other bars in the area, he said.
"It's an atmosphere, the camaraderie of the regular patrons," he said. "That's what we work to cater to."
The people are what make owning a pub enjoyable for Blakeley. He said his patrons span the spectrum of occupations.
"Of course, you have to get used to the British sense of humor if you're going to be a regular," he said. "A lot of sarcasm and we love to play with words."
Blakeley offers customers traditional British fare he calls "pub grub," such as shepherd's pie, pork pie, Scotch eggs and homemade sausage.
"My wife and I were always interested in home cooking and (sometimes) get a craving for things that aren't readily available here," he said. "We've certainly got people hooked on the shepherd's pie."
Drink specials include $1 off import drafts on Mondays, $2 mystery beer on Tuesdays, $5 pitchers of domestic beer on Wednesdays, $1 beer on Thursdays (which is also trivia night), and sake night on Fridays.
Blakeley said when he first opened, many people didn't think the concept of a British pub would catch on in North Augusta.
"The most anybody ever gave me was six months," Blakeley said. "Here we are 30 years and six months later."
Reach Lisa Kaylor at lisa.kaylor@northaugustatoday.com.
THE HIGHLANDER
Address : 133 Georgia Ave.
Phone : (803) 279-2796
Web site: abritishpub.com
Hours : 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Friday, 5 p.m. to midnight Saturday
