The Village Pump on Kelleys Island Gets New Owner

A chance encounter nearly 30 years ago led to a friendship, a watering hole and now a business opportunity.

Marie Casey, a native of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, came to Kelleys Island in the summer of 1997 to interview for a job at The Casino Restaurant & Dock. On her way into town, she was given a ride by a local — Jackie Finger, who with her husband, Gary, owned The Village Pump and the Village Peddler on the Ohio island. The Village Pump quickly became Casey’s spot after work during the summers she spent on the Island.

“I felt like it was one of those places that just does it right,” she says. “No frills, but everyone felt welcome.”

She loved it so much that when the opportunity presented itself to buy the bar from the Fingers, she took it. Her first season as owner started March 28. 

“COVID hit, and I realized I wanted to go back to the island,” says Casey, who has worked in the bar/restaurant industry in the Cleveland area and in Key West, in addition to her time on Kelleys Island. “Jackie was looking to sell, and I was interested.”

Casey partnered with David Rudiger, who owns several restaurants in the Cleveland area. (Prior to buying The Village Pump, Casey managed one of Rudiger’s restaurants, the Ironwood in Westlake, Ohio.)

Casey bought new televisions for the bar before the start of the season and plans to expand the late-night menu, remembering fondly how she’d finish a work shift and then go to the Village Pump for a turkey sandwich, which they still make. But, otherwise, she doesn’t plan to make a lot of changes. 

“All the favorites will still be here,” she says, specifically mentioning perch sandwiches and Brandy Alexanders, a turn-of-the-20th century cocktail of cognac, crème de cacao and cream. “We don’t want to change anything at all. It’s a friendly place and we want people to feel like family.”

Casey will continue to consult with the Fingers, who are trying to make a smooth transition in ownership. Jackie still owns The Village Peddler, the store next to the bar, and Gary’s still at the bar. “Everyone wants to come in and get a high-five from Gary,” Casey says. “They’re not going anywhere.”

And hopefully, neither is Casey.

“This isn’t just a job for me,” she says. “It’s a dream come true. It’s an honor to take over a place that’s so beloved, with so much history.”

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