‘The loss is staggering’: Owner of State College’s The Tavern, longtime community champion dies
Members of the downtown State College community and greater “Penn State nation” were mourning the loss Monday of a mentor, beloved restaurant owner and a pillar of the community.
Pat Daugherty, longtime owner of The Tavern, died over the weekend at age 75. Daugherty and partner Bill Tucker purchased the restaurant in 1980 and added the Adam’s Apple bar in 1982.
But before he was an owner, Daugherty worked at the East College Avenue staple. In the mid-‘60s, he was living with his college roommate, Larry Fall, who was a year older and an employee at The Tavern. When Daugherty turned 21, Fall helped him get a job there.
“He made the best of that opportunity to say the least,” Fall said on Monday.
Fall said the employees were a close group when they worked there, and Daugherty tried to keep it that way when he became owner. By many accounts, he succeeded. Lee Anne Jeffries, executive director of the Downtown State College Improvement District, wrote in an email that The Tavern was more than a place to work — it was a family.
“Pat’s work in the community connected town and gown and created a network that we continue to build upon today. He was a man that cared deeply for his town and worked to make it a better place,” Jeffries wrote.
Fall and Keith Bierly, former Centre County Commissioner, said Daugherty treated employees and customers like they were special. Bierly frequented The Tavern and knew Daugherty for 25-30 years.
“He made everybody feel at home. When you went to The Tavern, you felt like you were the special guest of that evening, like he was literally waiting for you to come. I mean, he just had that touch with people. So I don’t know of any other restaurant where I ever went, where I was as anxious to see the owner/manager as I was at The Tavern,” Bierly said.
Penn State impact
Daugherty was a two-time graduate of Penn State, an active volunteer, avid sports fan and a donor. But most importantly, O. Richard Bundy III, the university’s vice president of development and alumni relations wrote, he’s beloved by generations for his generous mentorship. As restaurant owner, Daugherty employed and mentored hundreds of Penn State students, many of whom were hospitality and restaurant management majors.
The Tavern was a big Penn State athletics supporter and Daugherty was a member of the Nittany Lion Club for many years. Several scholarships were established by The Tavern and it also helped to establish an endowment to support freestyle wrestling. Additionally, The Tavern has hosted dinners for Thon dancers and leaders since 1987.
In a written statement, Penn State President Eric J. Barron said Daugherty “will be remembered for creating a family atmosphere at The Tavern for those celebrating commencement, engagements and countless other events.”
In 1999, Penn State honored Daugherty as the Renaissance Man of the Year, with contributions endowing three scholarships, one in Daugherty’s name, one in honor of his mother, Dorothy Kellogg Daugherty, and another in the name of The Tavern Alumni Association.
“Pat dedicated his life to making our broad University community a better place, for which he was recognized in 1999 as Penn State’s Renaissance Fund Honoree,” Bundy wrote. “The entire Penn State family extends our sympathies to his wife, Ruth, and their extended family, who we hope will take some comfort in this sad time knowing that Pat’s memory will live on in the many young lives he impacted.”
Much more than a restaurant owner
Though Fritz Smith, president and CEO of Happy Valley Adventures Bureau, knew and met Daugherty through the hospitality industry, he doesn’t think of him as a restaurant owner.
“I don’t think of him as a restaurant owner. I think of him as somebody who loved his community and gave back to it endlessly,” Smith said.
Smith knew Daugherty for about 17 years, as they were involved in the same state associations and were both active in the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association. But beyond Daugherty’s work in The Tavern, he was associated with many charities, has trained hundreds in “exceptional customer service,” and consistently gave back to the community, Smith said.
“The loss is staggering. ... You don’t run across very many people like that in your life,” Smith said. “He was a mentor to me. He was an example of somebody who you should emulate. I never saw the man lose his temper once. I think he was just an example of how to conduct yourself in any setting.”
In 2019, the board of Centre County’s Constitution Day celebration awarded Daugherty the inaugural James Madison Award for Civility in the Community. It “honors a local individual or organization that has made major contributions to civility in the community,” according to its website.
“The Constitution Day Board, after considering several nominees, voted unanimously (11-0) that Pat receive the award. I know of no other restaurant where the owner/manager has been so identified with their success than Pat Daugherty and The Tavern,” wrote Bierly, who is the founder and former board president of the organization.
Bierly said that because Penn State football is such a driving force in Centre County, The Tavern was likely part of many people’s trip as they traveled to State College for games.
“They’re all going to miss him immensely. Not just local people, but people really throughout Penn State nation will be missing him because he was part of their weekend. So it’s a very big loss,” Bierly said in an phone interview.
Fall, Daugherty’s college roommate, left the area for work but retired in State College. When he would come back to visit, The Tavern was always a “must stop.” He said he’ll miss walking into The Tavern and being greeted by a huge smile and embrace from Daugherty.
Smith said the community has recently lost three iconic people: Daugherty, Henry Sahakian and Ed Friedman.
“It’s going to be hard to fill their shoes and I think it’s incumbent upon us in the next generation to follow their lead and follow their civic-mindedness and make sure that their examples stay with us forever,” Smith said.
This story was originally published November 8, 2021 at 4:40 PM.
