Sullivan’s receives ‘Outstanding Business’ award from Main Street

Sullivan’s Public House, owned by Jerry and Jamie Cremin, had the luck of the Irish on its side when it was named 2015 Outstanding Business by Main Street Oakland County (MSOC) at the organization’s annual awards program held April 28 in Royal Oak.

“It’s an honor, especially in Oakland County where there are so many restaurants,” Jamie said.

“It’s awesome,” Jerry said. “It’s always nice to have something to hang on your walls.”

Jamie and Jerry Cremin, owners of Sullivan’s Public House in downtown Oxford, pose with their Outstanding Business award from Main Street Oakland County. Photo by C.J. Carnacchio.
Jamie and Jerry Cremin, owners of Sullivan’s Public House in downtown Oxford, pose with their Outstanding Business award from Main Street Oakland County. Photo by C.J. Carnacchio.

The economic vitality award recognizes the dedication and commitment the Cremins and their establishment have demonstrated to downtown Oxford and the overall community since Sullivan’s opened in July 2014.

Located at 23 N. Washington St., Sullivan’s Public House is a consistent participant in downtown events such as the Scarecrow Festival, Soup and Sweet Stroll and Lone Ranger Festival. Jerry serves on the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) board and its promotions committee.

“We’re not just an Irish pub,” Jamie explained. “We go above and beyond to try to volunteer, to give back to the community, to know everyone that comes in.”

Jerry believes winning this award is good for the community, not just Sullivan’s.

“I think it brings more awareness to Oxford and I think people will start taking us a lot more seriously,” he said. “I think we can definitely give Lake Orion a run for their money soon.”

Being an Irishman, one might think Jerry puts his faith in four-leaf clovers. But it turns out, he appears to be a numerology man.

“I’ve always been a big fan of even years,” he said. “We got married in 2010. Our daughter was born in 2012. We opened in 2014 . . . And 2016’s been a great year for us.”

In January, BuzzFeed, an internet media company based in New York City, named Sullivan’s the Best Irish Bar in Michigan.

The following month, Sullivan’s won Best Irish Pub in Michigan as part of the website MiIrish.com’s 2016 Shammy Awards.

On Facebook,the pub is approaching 10,000 likes, which Jerry believes is “phenomenal” for a business that’s been open for less than two years.

“It’s definitely our goal to be the best that we can be,” Jerry said. “We treat everyone like family. It’s not just hand over your money and we’ll give you a drink.”

Oxford took home a second plaque at the MSOC program as the DDA won the award for Outstanding Organization Transition.

Last year, the DDA went from suddenly losing its executive director in mid-May to having a new one in place by early July.

Six months later, downtown Oxford regained its national accreditation as a Main Street community, a point of pride it had lost during its 2014 evaluation.

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