When is The Blind Tiger REALLY OPENING in Fairhope?
The Exclusive Full-Vision Answer from the Big-Cat Himself, Owner Thomas Genin:
August 11, 2024
L: Richard Harlen, Beverage Manager
Center: Thomas Genin, owner of The Blind Tiger Fairhope
R: Kevin Preble, Kitchen Manager
Beverage Manager Richard Harlen holds a jar of macerating pineapple habanero shrub which he said dates back to colonial days. It will be fermented and served with tequila and soda water behind the bar.
Regarding the new wheelchair accessible ramp, deck and dining areas, 79-years-young Fairhope resident Judith Wilkins says, “No problem getting into the restaurant!”
Let’s Go! Fairhope, the events-news resource for Fairhope, Alabama, paid a visit to Fairhope Municipal Pier to get a 20/20-vision glimpse of the much-anticipated restaurant.
According to Thomas Genin, owner of The Blind Tiger (TBT) Fairhope, along with Kevin Preble, Kitchen Manager, and Richard Harlen, Beverage Manager, the details as of early August 2024 are this:
- TBT has obtained a Certificate of Occupancy from the City of Fairhope
- They are working on health department and alcohol permits
- The entire building is now ADA accessible
- The area which served as a gift shop for a previous tenant is now a dining area
- A ramp and deck area has been installed on the west side of the restaurant where a set of stairs previously provided access to boat docks
What took so long?
“This has been a difficult renovation,” said Genin. “My building mangers looked at this place and pretty much told me I was crazy because of the condition of this place. In addition to [repairs and changes required by the health department and the City] the building closed and sat vacant for more than 180 days which meant it had to be brought up to new codes,” added Genin.
Genin said, “Everything that could have gone wrong with renovations went wrong. Remember that really cold freeze we had? Every pipe blew up. The City came down and turned off the water. [My crew and I] drained the pipes, but something happened. Somehow the water got turned back on and all of our new pipes busted.”
What else?
- The old building: There was one way in and one way out. New building: Two ways in and two ways out.
- They elected to put in the ramp, so wheelchair users can now enjoy the back deck or inside dining.
- The back deck ceiling has been raised by 6’ feet.
- Where there was previously just one unisex restroom, they have added the women’s restroom back.
What about the Menu?
- Chalkboards will serve as menus. They’ll have one chalkboard that will stay the same, and the other will be daily features.
- No freezers. Everything is fresh.
- Raw bar with raw oysters, plus pickled shrimp, marinated crab claws, and smoked tuna dip
Hours of Operation?
- Open at 3 pm Wednesday through Sunday until around 9pm.
- Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
- Hopefully within a few weeks, lunch will be added Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
- By next spring, the goal is to be open seven days a week.
What will the Grand Opening event be like?
- “We aren’t going to announce it. We’re just going to open the doors.”
- “We are optimistic that we can be open within two weeks”
More:
- “TBT is a waterfront boaters’ cocktails establishment. We are kid / family friendly.”
- The City’s public boat docks will be open to transient boaters when the restaurant is open. Four slips will be available for multiple day accommodations and will be booked through TBT.
- The Fairhope pier location will be fourth establishment in the The Blind Tiger family
Website: https://www.theblindtiger.biz/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tbtfairhope/
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Owner Thomas Genin’s son, Jaxon, reels in the kitchen’s first catch.
Just kidding, folks. Nice catch, Jaxon! ; )
Namesake story for The Blind Tiger Restaurants. Photo provided by Thomas Genin.
Sign Text in image above:
“Blind Tigers,” as they were commonly called were the late-night, illegal bars of Southern towns that served local moonshine and bootleg whiskey during the U.S. Federal Prohibition Era from 1919-1933. Bay St. Louis and Lower Hancock County had several “Blind Tigers” that were popular with local politicians, musicians, prostitutes, businessmen and lawmen. The owners of “Blind Tigers” in and around Bay St. Louis coordinated shipments of rum from Cuba through the Bay of St. Louis on small speed boats there were called runabouts. These small boats easily evaded the larger and slower U.S. Coast Guard boats that patrolled only ten miles from the coastline. Most of the run was received just south of Cat Island, nine nautical miles southeast of the Train Bridge in Smugglers Cove. The Kiln, MS was the headquarters of smuggling operations for alcohol to New Orleans and Chicago because of its easy access to the Mississippi River and its tributaries. Local legend has it that Chicago’s most notorious gangster, Al Capone, had a large riverfront compound about seven miles northwest of Bay St. Louis right on the Jordan River. (Map)
Let's Go! Fairhope 2024