When The Shanty owner Owen Nugent passed away in 1947, a decade after he opened the business, it would have been reasonable to assume that the family would have to either sell or close the bar.
But Owen's determined widow, Donna Nugent, wouldn't have it that way. Despite having no business or bartending experience, she jumped in and took over, learning as she went while caring for her 9-year-old daughter, Judy, and 1-year-old son, Bill.
"I think out of necessity, she really had to hit the ground running," Bill said. "She was really just a housewife. In those days, for a woman to be in business, period, was unusual, and in the liquor industry, it was frowned upon, frankly."
Bill said Donna sought counsel and kept the business running strong, winning the loyalty of distributors and wholesalers. She showed her business savvy by moving the business in 1953 to its current, iconic location at 401 E. Ninth St., on the northeast corner of North Fourth Avenue, with a popular patio visible to passers-by, urging them to step inside and join the fun.
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"She was an honorable person. Wasn't a drinker. She learned the business very quickly," said Bill Nugent, 65, who has managed the bar since 1968 and assumed ownership in 2000, when Donna died at 83.
Bill wasn't allowed in the bar until he was a teen and his mom hired him as a custodian.
Nugent says neither he nor his sister have any heirs, so they're open to selling the bar to someone with the same philosophy. He says they've been approached by a bar-restaurant chain but have resisted its advances so far.
"I don't resonate to franchises," Nugent said, declining to name the suitor. "Even though it's a good franchise."