McLEAN, Va. — A business owner in Tysons Corner says he’s seen financial gains since the Metro Silver Line opened one year ago.
“Probably 5 percent of our sales would be people that are coming to the area, initially coming to the mall,” says Brendan Barry, owner of Paddy Barry’s Irish Pub & Restaurant on Leesburg Pike. “[They] would not have come this way before, but [they do] because the Metro is easy and handy for them.”
Barry spoke with WTOP just before the Silver Line opened last year. He hadn’t purchased the bar — then known as Finnegan’s Pride — but he hoped the Silver Line would bring more customers and make it easier to hire staff.
Barry, originally from Ireland, now has staff members living in Alexandria, and across the river in the District and Maryland. Without the Silver Line, they wouldn’t be able to take the jobs.
So far, he says those hopes have been fulfilled. Barry’s bar is roughly a 10-minute walk from the Tysons Corner station. He also sees the Silver Line’s benefits among regular customers who have recently moved to Tysons.
“When I talk to them, the only reason they’ve moved here is because they had access to the Metro, so it certainly is helping,” Barry says.
Barry officially took over the bar in September. He sees “great opportunities” for the future as the Silver Line spurs even more development in Tysons, which will draw more residents and potential customers.
