Four years ago, young Dan McDonald decided he wanted to start a new business in his old hometown of Dorchester.

Born on Pierce Avenue and baptized at St. Brendan church, the business school graduate of Boston College had spent four years after graduation working at restaurants on the South Shore and on Martha’s Vineyard. He was eager to open his own restaurant.

He found a storefront in a prime Adams Corner location and soon went about opening his very first restaurant, a neighborhood place he called The Currach Bistro and Pizza.

Father and son team: Dan McDonald Fr, left, and Sr.Specializing in hand-made sub sandwiches and oversized pizza, the shop was well received and soon developed a strong. Then, last fall, a larger storefront opened up right next door when a neighboring merchant shut down. McDonald went to landlord Arthur Murphy— who happens to be his uncle, his mother Ginny’s brother— and struck a deal to expand into the larger space.

Committed to keeping his first business going while developing the new location, McDonald turned to one of the best construction managers he could find: his father, also Dan McDonald, who had recently retired from a 20 year career at Boston College, first in facilities management and for the last six years in development. Even better, the elder McDonald had spent the first 20 years of his working life as a builder and was available to help build out the new eatery.

So late last fall, the two Dan McDonalds, pere et fils, began the four month task of constructing the brand new storefront restaurant next door. The new location would be more than twice as large, and the extra room allowed space to seat 25, compared to the Currach’s eight seats.

“We have great pizza, and fresh and healthy subs,” he said this week. “It’s a place where people can sit down and enjoy themselves and get away from their problems. We have two TVs, and we have Wi-Fi. We have created a good place in the neighborhood that’s very welcoming.”
McDonald decided that the old name would no longer work, so he chose a new name: The Beach House. How did he come up with the name for the business?

“There’s no place in the world I’d rather be than on the beach, on the water and the boats,” he says. “It’s kind of a nice feeling to come to work and you feel like you’re on vacation- and that’s the atmosphere we want to have here. Whether it’s just five minutes to pick up the food or half an hour sitting and eating here.

“We want to make this a neighborhood gathering point,” McDonald says.

He purchased a second fry-o-lator and added a new char grille, allowing him to expand the menu.  The Beach House specializes in large hand-thrown pizza, offering what is called “the largest pizza in the neighborhood.” Other favorites brought over from next door include their popular steak and cheese subs and salad wraps. After several weeks of a soft opening, the new eatery is now fully in operation.

The Beach House is located at 789 Adams Street in Adams Village. Store hours are Monday-Saturday 11 am- 11pm, Sundays 12 noon- 8 pm. Offering eat-in or take-out, and delivery service. Phone 617-929-1880.