Post #187808 by TikiMaxton on Tue, Sep 20, 2005 4:41 PM

I have been fortunate enough have an opportunity to forge a relationship with Larry and Carla White, the owners of Portland's legendary Alibi tiki bar. I have some updates to pass on to those of you who know and love this fantastic bar.

First of all, Larry's health is not good. He's awaiting a heart transplant, and that's a really big deal. He's in good spirits, but he's not spending much time in the bar. His wife Carla is running the show for the most part. The good news here, if there can be said to be any good news, is that the Whites have assured me that they will be keeping the bar, no matter what. That means they will stick to the traditional decor, which they have learned to appreciate.

Speaking of decor, the Alibi is undergoing a good deal of renovation. Don't freak out - we're talking about general fixing up, not any kind of drastic changes. In fact, the Whites have enlisted a few of us in the Portland tiki core to advise them on how to remodel without disrupting the classic feel of the place. We have and will continue to consult on matters of interior and exterior decor; we couldn't be more humbled than to be asked to help maintain the integrity of a place that means so much to us.

Maori Man and I met with Larry today to discuss the repainting of the Alibi's famous sign. We were relieved to get there before they had decided on an unfortunate teal and purple color scheme! We advised Larry to revert to the painted faux woodgrain that was on the original sign, and a nice, feathered red and white color scheme on the large Alibi lettering. We believe that the sign will come out looking fantastic. Most of the other graphic elements on the sign will remain the same, just cleaned up and repainted in their original color palettes. The smaller sign (closer to the Palm motel)will be changed somewhat, due to new restrictions that no longer allow the Alibi to be a "Family" restaurant.

Interior plans include a thatched roof over the bar, the repair of all the original Oceanic Arts lamps, and revamping the original fountain. They'll also be looking to add more original tiki art to the mix.

Overall, the prognosis is great for the Alibi, if not for Larry. He greatly appreciated the "Get Well" banner we left him after the NW Crawl, and often tells me how much he enjoys and appreciates the hardcore tiki crowd. If you'd like to send good wishes to Larry, feel free to PM them to me and I'll be sure he sees them. He doesn't do email so that's pretty much the only way to get him messages unless you want to snail mail him.

More updates (and photos of the renovation) as they're available.