Friends To Open Restaurant Honoring Fallen Claremore Firefighter

Two of Captain Jason Farley's best friends say they've found the perfect way to honor the fallen firefighter: with burgers and beers.

Chris Hayes and James Franklin say they have little restaurant experience between them, but for their best friend, they're taking a chance.

"[This will be] a place where we can honor their sacrifice," Hayes said, a Claremore firefighter and close friend of Farley's.

Farley died in May 2015. He drowned while trying to save others in dangerous flood waters.

5/30/2015 Related Story: Fallen Claremore Fire Captain Jason Farley Remembered At Service

Friends say before he died, Farley talked about opening a restaurant of his own. So, they're making that dream come true for him.

Hayes and Franklin are calling their Irish-style pub J. Farley's in his honor. It will memorialize other fallen firefighters, Guy Cooper and Jim McElwain, as well.

"We don't want Jason's memory to fade," Hayes said. "We don't want Guy and Jim's memories to fade. We want this to kind of be a lasting legacy for them."

The pub will include a large U-shaped bar with at least ten beers on tap, as well as a private room available for reservations, and patio seating.

J. Farley's will sit on the south end of a mixed-use building at 609 South Brady Street, near Highway 20 and Driftwood Drive, called The Cornerstone.

Crystal Campbell and her husband own the building and are partners in this venture.

Campbell says J. Farley's will be more than just a restaurant; it will be a tribute.

"We have heroes that are around us every day," Campbell explained, "and we take a lot of our public servants for granted."

Hayes said photographs of Farley, Cooper and McElwain will line the restaurant's walls.

"It's important that people realize that there are actually guys out there, and women, that are willing to put their lives on the line for them at any given time, and they're complete and total strangers," he said.

Hayes and Franklin are hoping to open J. Farley's by September.