We’ve all seen the clichéd sign that reads “Under new management.” In our post-pandemic world, we might just start seeing new signs that read “Under old management.” The best local example of that is Mac’s at 19 Broadway in Fairfax, which reverted back to old management after a three-year stint with different ownership.

“19th Broadway had kind of run its course,” said old/new managing partner Chris McCarthy (the Mac in Mac’s). “It was time to change it up.”

And if the long wait times over the Fourth of July weekend are any indication, Fairfax is certainly embracing that change.

Forty-three years behind bars is a long time by any measurement, and McCarthy has spent those decades at Corner Bar (the original in Fairfax), Deer Park Villa, Mandarin Garden, Sausalito Cruising Club, the original 19th Broadway and now Mac’s.

“For decades, live music was the thing,” McCarthy said. “Garry Graham (McCarthy’s former partner and local bandleader) started all that.”

The goal with the change was to not lose the live music but to simply add to it. McCarthy says to that end they upscaled the cocktails, added a “bigger, better menu,” sleeked out the outdoor patio and added big comfy chairs and couches to their “Bootleggers Lounge,” giving the whole place more of a lounge feel. They also routinely book “Prohibition Talks” by the Marin History Museum, a Frank Sinatra imitator and have recently added a “Martini Mondays” promotion sponsored by local bitters maker King Floyd’s.

“Since day one we have been very well received,” McCarthy said. “And it’s gone nowhere but up.”

Recently, we caught up with McCarthy to get his thoughts on bartending, cocktails and the whole Fairfax experience.

For more information on Mac’s at 19 Broadway, go to macsat19broadway.com.

Q Four decades is a long time. What keeps you going into work every day?

A I love my job. I get to meet different people every single day; I get to make the drinks that I love and talk to people and listen to their stories. The stories are the part of this that I love the most. Every day is different, and you never know who’s going to walk in, who you’re going to meet and the friendships that you’ll develop. A lot of the people that come in here are more family to me now than merely friends or acquaintances. They are the people I can lean on. I can rely on them if I need a favor.

And if they need a favor, they can call me. There was a guy pushing a bartending school in the ’70s and ’80s; you would see his TV commercial: “Take a vacation every day. Meet new and interesting people.”

It was true then, and it’s true now.

Q Where was your longest tenure?

A Right here. We’ve owned this location twice, Mike Ghiringhelli and I. It’s been a great relationship from the very beginning to right now. (Ghiringhelli owned the original Corner Bar and gave McCarthy his first bartending job.) Mike has been a good, good partner. He’s been a good friend for all these years. We’ve never had a fight, which is remarkable.

Q How has the scene in Fairfax evolved?

A We kind of evolved along with the community. As it changed, we changed. But we also did things a little bit differently than everyone else, you know?

We added the big chairs and couches, creating both a comfortable atmosphere and great cocktails to go along with it.

When I first started here, there were a lot of bikers and hippies. Now it’s more families. It was a great town then, and it’s still a great town, but it has changed over the years.

Things just change.

Q Who’s the most interesting person you’ve met while bartending?

A My wife. She and her friend started coming in here and sitting at the end of the bar. She started flirting with me, so I started flirting back. And, you know, it just clicked. We’ve been together now for 33 years. We’ve only been married for three years, but we were engaged — the longest engagement ever — for 30 years. We went to Ireland 25 years ago for a vacation and had our wedding bands made in Ireland, Claddagh rings, and they went in a safe deposit box. And three years ago, we finally just said, “Let’s do it.”

Q Are you a bartender or a mixologist?

A I’m old school. You can call me a mixologist, but I like being called a bartender. The drinks I started doing — which I still love to do — are old fashioneds, Manhattans, martinis, old-school stuff. But I also love making the new stuff. The stuff with five, six or seven ingredients that we make here now is so good. But for me, I still love all the old stuff. Sure, there are still shots and beers, but nowadays it’s craft cocktails all day and all night. If you want it, we’ll do it for you.

Q What’s one truth about bartending that you would share? Something you’d tell a new bartender coming up?

A It can be trying at times. But leave your problems at home. Always show up at work to work. And try and enjoy yourself because you are the party. You’re the one creating the party in the room. So be prepared to do that. You have got to be aware. And you have to be good at small talk and be able to hold 10 conversations at the same time. Just remember, if you work somewhere long enough, they’ll hang your name over the door.

Jeff Burkhart is the author of “Twenty Years Behind Bars: The Spirited Adventures of a Real Bartender, Vol. I and II,” the host of the Barfly Podcast on iTunes (as seen in the NY Times) and an award-winning bartender at a local restaurant. Follow him at jeffburkhart.net and contact him at jeffbarflyIJ@outlook.com