 "Photo: Christine Ciarcia")
 "Photo: Christine Ciarcia")
With the front-entrance floor sinking and the walls rotting, reconstruction begins this year on The Alibi Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge.
Philosophy and literature major Joe Levi said he has gone to The Alibi at least once a week for the past two years.
“I love the greasy, heart-clogging food, the stiff drinks and sometimes the bands they have,” said Levi. “Plus, they have Maker’s Mark whiskey and a whole menu dedicated just to Bloody Marys.”
New plans for the location will expand outward and upward.
Justin Ladd, owner of The Alibi since October 1998, said it will be gigantic. It will expand into the empty lot next door, and there will be an upstairs level.
Both levels will have a bar. The downstairs bar will be 45-feet long. Ladd said it will include a selection of espressos and juices.
The upper-level bar will be in two parts. The back half will have an enclosed bar, and the front half will be an open deck.
Reinforced concrete pillars will replace the current wooden framework. Ladd will reuse the old lumber to make new tables.
“I’m going to recycle everything I can, from the framework to the paneling on the walls to the old-growth Redwood beams,” said Ladd.
Even the artwork that has been there since 1954 on the walls will be retouched. The paintings of dogs decked out in suits and fedora hats drinking around a table will hang behind the bar. Black lights will glow above them, an effect they once used years ago.
Ladd said the process will begin sometime between August and December and take a year to complete. The bar will be closed during renovations.
In July, Ladd will open the Alibi 2 in Eureka. The Alibi 2 will take over his current bar, Aunty Mo’s. This spot is known as Humboldt County’s only gay bar, which Ladd owned for a of couple years.
There are rumors that moving the Alibi to this location prevents Ladd from losing his liquor license during reconstruction.
Studio art major Holly Burke wishes this wasn’t the case. Burke has gone to this venue for the past 12 years. Since Ladd took over business, she said the customer service went down the drain.
“Those fucking bastards,” said Burke. “I’ve probably been to Aunty Mo’s six times. I only go for benefits that support gay people and organizations, otherwise, it’s a bad place to go for service.” Even though Burke thinks the service is awful, she does not like that the only gay bar in town is closing.
The Humboldt “rants & raves” section on craigslist.com has numerous posts about Aunty Mo’s. There are twice as many complaints about poor service, rude bartenders and bad music, than there are approvals on the venue. On the flip side, the LGBT community and supporters are upset to see their gay bar go.
Ladd plans to set-up a temporary Alibi in Arcata during remodeling but does not have a location yet. He said it is difficult to find a place equipped with a kitchen. A kitchen will cost more than $100,000 to install, and Ladd would rather put money toward renovating the original location.
Valerie Graham, who works at Toby & Jack’s in downtown Arcata, thinks the reconstruction will positively affect the surrounding bars.
“For the most part, we all have our own clientele, but a lot of people like going from one bar to the other, right down the line,” Graham said. She thinks the new Alibi will bring in more people from surrounding areas and create more business for all the bars on the plaza.
Even though The Alibi will grow, Ladd wants to keep the same vibe. He does not want a new audience or scene. He wants a new-and-improved version of what is already there. The dim lighting, blood-red walls, unusual art work and laid-back atmosphere are not going anywhere.
“We are the dive bar, and I love it that way,” said Ladd.
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