Faces Of Nantucket: The Slip 14 Duo

Faces of Nantucket: Tim Farley and Brennen Connor

Tim

• Years on island: 20
• Favorite thing about Nantucket: Family and people on the island, outdoor activities, the beaches

Brennen

• Years on island: 15
• Favorite thing about Nantucket: The community, the culinary scene, golf courses

Tim Farley and Brennen Connor, co-owners of Slip 14 on Old South Wharf, have been fixtures of the Nantucket restaurant scene for over 15 years. The duo met at Straight Wharf Restaurant the day that Connor stepped on-island for the first time in 2009, and have worked their way up within the restaurant industry together – from servers to barbacks, to bartenders, and now as owners for Slip 14’s 19th season.

Farley moved to Nantucket in 2004 from Manasquan, New Jersey after growing up summering on the island and immediately found a job in the restaurant industry. From 2005-2006, Farley worked at the Boarding House and The Pearl as a door guy, barback, and day bartender. He then moved to Brant Point Grill in 2007 as a bartender, and Water Street as a bar back and dishwasher the same year. From 2008-2020, he worked as the bartender and bar manager at Straight Wharf Restaurant, which was when he met Connor.

Connor first came to Nantucket in 2009 when he was a freshman in college, and eventually moved to the island from his hometown of Kittery, Maine. After returning for another summer on-island, he picked up a job as a door guy and bar grill server in 2010 at Straight Wharf Restaurant and built a close friendship with Farley. From 2011-2014, Connor explored barbacking and bartending at Slip 14 and returned to Straight Wharf from 2015-2020 where he was a bartender and helped serve in the dining room during the pandemic.

Both Farley and Connor had family ties that connected them to the island and enjoyed the bustle of the restaurant scene, leading them to ultimately move to Nantucket and begin working their way up in the industry.

“I came here… thinking that I was just gonna have one fun summer and make some money to go back to college,” Connor says. “And then it just kind of naturally felt like home. So I think the community and the people especially were what brought me back at first, and still continue to do so.”

During their stints at Straight Wharf, the two bartended together for about six years. Then, in 2021, Jonas Baker, the previous owner of Slip 14 offered Farley and Connor managing partner roles at Slip. During their first year as managing partners, the pair faced the challenge of operating a restaurant amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We took a chance to come stay in the restaurant business and then that in itself was a challenge just because of all the regulations and anxiety around the coronavirus… so our first year we dealt with that just from the start,” Farley explains.

Connor elaborates, “When we signed up for this new job change and idea and situation we didn’t know if Covid would last forever…it was definitely a big risk that we were definitely not 100 percent sure about but we were ready to take [it] and try to figure it out.”

As for running the restaurant and ownership responsibilities, Farley and Connor take it day by day. Their roles entail making sure Slip 14 is operating smoothly, from hiring employees to spending time behind the bar to curating menu items with their chef Liam Jacobs, “We both come every morning and do it all,” Farley says. “We just show up every day and go from there and figure it out.”

Connor adds, “Maybe you could consider us the team captains. We’re big on teamwork.”

Their efforts to maintain Slip 14 both during and after the pandemic gave Farley and Connor the opportunity to not only become accustomed to managing a restaurant, but also to define their vision for the space. For them, Slip 14 is meant to have a casual feel and really good food and drink, while paying homage to Jonas’ original vision, as both Farely and Connor credit him for taking them under his wing.

“People can come, families or different friend groups and enjoy themselves, kind of more laid back but still a really good time and environment,” Farley explains. “Focusing on just good ingredients, not trying to overcomplicate things."

“It’s open and accepting,” Connor adds. “It’s not fancy, but it’s still right in the heart of the Boat Basin.”

Officially the owners as of 2024 and moving forward, not only do Farley and Connor want Slip 14 to remain a casual and open space, but they are also deeply invested in supporting Nantucket’s community, continually working with local charities. Particularly focusing on the Nantucket Boys and Girls Club and Swim Across America, Slip 14 often donates items for bidding, and both participates in and hosts fundraising events.

“We just try to keep it local and in the community,” Connor says.

Like most people who establish roots on Nantucket, the community has always stood out to both Farley and Connor. From spending years working together at Straight Wharf, they recognize that teamwork and that the island community continually sticks together – especially in the restaurant industry – allowing the pair to always feel supported.

When not at Slip 14, you can likely find Farley with his surfboard and Connor with his golf clubs, as the two prioritize time spent enjoying Nantucket’s natural beauty and outdoor activities. Ultimately, however, the duo is deeply invested in making Slip 14 the best restaurant it can be.

In the restaurant industry, “You got to take every day with a grain of salt,” says Connor. “You got to pick up on something you learned back in your third shift ever working in a restaurant – it could be the most important thing you'll ever learn. And then you'll never forget it. But every day you learn something and you gotta take notes and you gotta live and you learn from it.”

All photos below by Charity Grace Mofsen