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ORAL HISTORY

Marian Murphy

Marian Murphy has been tending bar at the Bristol Bar & Grille since 1989. The original location on Bardstown Road has been welcoming area regulars since it opened in 1977.  A Kentucky native, Marian began bartending when she was in college to earn some extra money. After getting a degree in psychology from the University of Kentucky, she committed herself to the industry full time. In the years that she’s been behind the bar at the Bristol, she’s seen drinking trends come and go, but her commitment to personal attention has never waned (and her psychology degree has come in pretty handy). She greets dozens of regulars daily, placing their drinks on the bar before they even have a chance to sit down. Marian has friends, not customers. And such is the nature of the Bristol Bar & Grille. It’s where locals go for a casual meal, their favorite drink, and a familiar face.