Mary Ann's Is Beloved Part Of Boston College Experience

If you're a senior, it's your room away from your actual room. If you're a junior, you've gone obsessively this semester. If you're a sophomore, you want a fake ID passable enough to get you in. (Good luck getting past the tough bouncers.) If you're a freshman, you have only heard the legend and lore of Boston College students' favorite bar – Mary Ann's, also fondly called "Scary Ann's" by regulars.

But behind MA's door, strictly patrolled to keep out the unfortunately underaged, lies a bar rich with history and legend, both fact and fiction. The foundation for the brick edifice on 1937 Beacon Street was first laid in 1901. Although knowledge of its original purpose has been lost or forgotten, in 1916 half of the building was "Reservoir Cafe," an establishment that served food and liquor.The far side of MA's (which now houses the vending machines and ever popular "Big Buck Hunter") was once a laundromat.

Chris Eld, the current manager of MA's and Brookline native, recalled stories from his father's childhood growing up near Cleveland Circle. "When my father was a boy in the 1960s, he would take his laundry here with change from my great-grandmother."

Today, for any student waiting in MA's notoriously long line, proof of the division is visible. When scrutinizing the brick facade, the outline of a door is still detectable to the right side.

In 1972, the building changed hands to a new owner who opened a bar and named it after his wife, Mary Ann. With such a romantic beginning, it is no surprise that so many BC students have found love here.

Barbara Koruda, BC '77, recalled her first Saturday night at MA's, where she met the man who would be her boyfriend for the next four years and the man she would marry  At the time, the federal drinking age was 18, meaning MA's was, to seniors' dismay, crowded not only with juniors, but also with sophomores, and … the dreaded freshmen.

"I remember taking yellow school buses to MA's." Koruda said. "I remember waiting in a long line and dancing on the sticky floors." As Cher blared over the speakers and whiskey sours flowed like Busch Light does today, Koruda said, "I can never remember not having a good time at MA's."

Though popular with all students, Debbie Farver, BC ‘74, recalls the bar as a hotspot for football players and their girlfriends. "We called them ‘jockettes' at the time. You know, the girls who like athletes."

"Today, they're called ‘jersey-chasers,' Mom," retorts Jill Farver, CSOM ‘10.

Although much has changed, from Stevie Wonder to Lil' Wayne being crowd favorites, mother and daughter alike will cherish the times they've spent within MA's hallowed brick walls. Through the '70s and '80s, any senior cougar perusing the bar for freshman had a larger territory to cover than today's second-semester seniors looking for juniors to befriend (every senior needs an excuse to go the Mods next year). Mary Ann's once had a dance floor in the basement where students discoed the night away. Today, the area is mainly used for storage and inventory.

In the '90s, MA's was popular on Wednesday nights. The bar had happy hour with $1 Busch Light drafts and free buffalo wings. Today's vending machine area once housed a kitchen that served bar fare like hot dogs and hamburgers.

However, today's BC student is greeted only with a meager selection of chips and pretzels in an antique vending machine usually blocked by Big Buck Hunter sharpshooters. Though most bars in Boston are required to serve food, MA's historical presence allowed it to tip toe around this law, with the vending machines sufficiently fulfilling this requirement.

Despite the changes, MA's has remained true to its identity as BC's student bar. Eld recalled MA's being nominated by Sports Illustrated as No. 4 on a list of 100 Things to Do Before You Graduate and also being nominated by Stuff Boston as one of Boston's best college bars along with Roggies.

Charlie Collins, an employee and A&S ‘10, believes that MA's true charm lies in its inviting atmosphere. "It's definitely a BC bar, but I think that any college kid visiting the area or BC would feel welcome and have a really good time," he says.

Otso Vuksich, an employee and CSOM '10, dispelled many commonplace rumors. "A lot of people think we don't clean the draft lines. They're actually cleaned twice a month. We also use heavy disinfectant on the cups." He says with a smile, "Everything is nice and clean."

With a line reaching waits up to two and a half hours long (This is no myth, your reporters have waited this long. Desperate or determined? You decide.) Mary Ann's is popular due to its great value. Busch Light drafts ring in at $1.75 while the most expensive drink is rumored to be a Three Wisemen which consists of Jack Daniels, Jim Beam, and Johnny Walker and costs a mere $10. And, for those who haven't had enough Franzia at Heightsmen Wine Nights, MA's does in fact carry red and white wine.

"No one knows what it really is," Collins says. "There's no label, winery, or year given. It just will say ‘chardonnay.'"

Though many students and regulars align themselves with the MA's community, the 18 current full and part-time employees consider themselves not only colleagues, but family.

"On any Saturday morning at 5 a.m., the entire MA's staff can be found at IHOP," Vuksich says.

 "The best part of working here is getting to know the other guys," Collins says. "We're all really close."

It's no surprise that this is a tight-knit bunch, as each received his job by referral from a past employee.

"The referrals are really important," Vuksich says. "That's why we all get along so well."

Anyone who looks at an all-male staff notices one striking commonality shared by the group. They all have worked their way up.