Historic St. Paul bar reopening on Thursday

A historic bar in St. Paul is making its grand return Thursday.

After being closed for over one year, Alary’s bar in St. Paul will open on June 27. It will operate Thursdays through Saturdays from 4 p.m. until midnight. The bar was founded in 1949 by Al Baisi, who played for the Chicago Bears in the 1940s.

“He was a tough, uncompromising SOB, but he sure knew how to run a bar,” Alary’s said in a press release.

Baisi ran the bar until he died in 2005, and his son Al Jr. continued his father’s business until he also died in 2015. Alary’s continued to operate until June 18, 2023, when it had to “put an end to an era” and close up shop.

Now, the “new era” is underway, featuring a facelift to its patio and bar, the latter of which has been upgraded with over 20 TV screens. The kitchen, however, will remain closed, but Alary’s hopes to have it ready in the fall, but will serve Heggie’s Pizza in the meantime. The new ownership also promises they will continue to be sports-focused and welcoming to the law enforcement officer community.

“Absolutely, now, more than ever, we need to support LEO,” Alary’s wrote in a press release. “We are offering free pizza and soft drinks to on-duty and ½ price beverages to off-duty to LEO, Firefighters, and other first responders.”

For Chicago Bears fans, the site will still be a safe space away from the Minnesota faithful. Every single Bears game, including those during media blackouts, will be shown on gameday.

For more information on their plans moving forward, you can visit the Alary’s Bar facebook page.