Market Street Pub is marking a memorable milestone as the close-knit Davock Family commemorates 30 years of ownership, and it's that sense of togetherness, of kinship with their customers that makes the moment that much more special.

Begun by the late Bill Davock, his wife and family step-mom Sandy, Bill's sister Karen Davock Minasian and continuing through the current stewardship of Bill and Sandy's three children — daughters Amy, Keri and Jodi — the pub plans a special evening to celebrate their three decades of ownership.

As a way of showing its appreciation to their patrons and the larger community, the self-proclaimed "smallest pub in the smallest town in the smallest county in the smallest state with the biggest heart" invites any and all to join in on the festivities Saturday night, Nov. 9, beginning at 6 o'clock. Rock Fish provides the musical entertainment and a complementary buffet is on offer.

The evening continues as "as long as you can last," the sisters joked. "We're having a sleep-over, a slumber party. We're going to have fun."

"More importantly, we'll be here," said Jodi. "A triple shot of Davock will be here and we will not be working, so we'll be fired up."

It doesn't take much to get the Davock sisters going. That's pretty obvious to anyone who's spent much more than a minute in their company. Their spirit of joy is as large as their personalities. And it's one of the many reasons why they have built such a loyal following over the years.

"It is a family atmosphere. It started off with the owner. That guy right right there," said Market Street regular and Bristolian Archie Martins, pointing to a picture of patriarch Bill positioned prominently at the back of the bar.

"It's infectious. It's a modern day 'Cheers,'" Martins continued, comparing Market Street to the fictional Boston bar of television lore. "Everybody who comes in here, they just understand it's a fun place where you can just be yourself. It's fun. They make you feel like you belong here. It doesn't matter if you're a regular, if you're here for the first time or 10th time. They make you feel welcome, and that's what's important."

And that was the aim of Bill when he bought the place back in 1994, according to Sandy, of whom the sisters call a "master" doughmaker and baker. Bill, who sold the pub to his daughters in 2017 and who passed away in 2021, wanted to create something long-lasting.

"It means a lot to see them continue on. My husband, their dad, passed away three years ago and he always, he strived through his life to leave a legacy and he's done it with this and through them," said Sandy.

"It's amazing," Sandy added of the pub's longevity. "When they came on, when the girls took the business over, then they started using social media and everything just kind of exploded. It's wonderful."

Twins Keri and Jodi run the day-to-day functions of the operation. Amy, the eldest of the trio, has a full-time job away from the pub. She schedules special events and fundraisers. Sandy maintains a strong presence, helping out with baking and as a resource of knowledge. All of their children have worked at pub as well,

"We're very family-oriented, very regulars-oriented. It's a very close-knit community we have here," said Keri. "We grew up with this. We're here every day, every morning at 9 a.m. We're here to clean, shop, do what we need to do. Our kids have all worked in here. It's 100-percent about family."

"It's teamwork," said Jodi, who's the longest tenured of the siblings, having been employed at the pub for 26 years. "This is our second home."

"It's second nature. Our step-mother taught us this side of the business," Keri continued, as she spoke in the pub kitchen. "I could whip up dinner for 140 people right now if I needed to. She taught us that. My dad taught us the business side of it, how to run things. He might've left some things out."

Added Jodi, "I wish he was still here teaching us some of that stuff."

Said Amy, "It's hard to have a business in a small community like this for 30 years. That's quite a milestone. But it's a struggle. Summers, people don't want to be here. They want to be by the water. So, winter, this is our time to shine with football and then we book fundraisers and we have an event space in the back. It's tough, but we have a great community that supports us. And we know what it's like to be on the other side, so we try to give back."

Thirty years is a long time for any business to remain viable, never mind in the hospitality realm. Market Street Pub has seen its share of ups and downs, of booms and busts, trends begetting different trends, but one thing has remained a constant, a warm, welcoming presence. It was the Davocks who created that sense. They appreciate what their past and present patrons have brought to the business. And they would like more folks to find out about that feeling in the future.

"We have a great community who has supported us all these years, and we hope they'll continue to support us, continue to support their local businesses," added Amy. "We just want to continue what we're doing, continue the family tradition. Cheers to another 30 years."