THE VERDICT

Robert Gardner

The Arches has been around for a long time, since 1920 to be exact.

Oh, not in its present form, but a man named Johnny Villelle opened a

service station there in 1920. It was a pretty gutsy decision because the

amount of automobile traffic passing through that intersection on a daily

basis in 1920 left much to be desired.

The service station had three arches to advertise itself, thus the name

Arches began in 1920, even if the restaurant didn’t.

The service station prospered, so Johnny decided to put in a short-order

place with his sister, Ann Villelle, as manager. It too prospered so that

eventually Johnny built the present structure, some time during the early

‘20s.

Johnny had no experience in the restaurant field but had a natural gift

for the business, and the restaurant soon became the No. 1 eating place

in town. However, Johnny had a problem. Johnny Villelle was the most

fanatical bird hunter I have ever known. Any date in the calendar there

is some kind of a game bird available for a hunter. Thus, Johnny began to

turn the operation of his restaurant over to his bartender so he could

hunt.

However, even if Johnny was a lousy businessman -- insofar as being

around the restaurant -- he did know a set of books when he saw them. He

figured out that his bartender, to whom he turned over the operation of

the business when he was off bird hunting, was robbing him blind. What to

do?

Finally, Johnny came to a decision -- a somewhat weird decision. He made

his bartender his partner on the basis that as a partner he would never

steal from the partnership. Amazingly, it worked. Johnny hunted, the

bartender ran the business but split all the money coming in between

himself and Johnny, 50-50.

Finally, Johnny and the bartender made enough money so that they could

each retire, and they sold the business. Eventually, a man named Bob

Bachlor acquired the Arches. I don’t remember whether there were any

intervening owners. I only remember Bob Bachlor.

One day I came home from court and there on my breakfast bar reposed a

case of Jack Daniels whiskey. I asked my wife where it came from. She

said a man named Bachlor left it there.

I did not know Bob Bachlor personally, but I did know that that day I

had handled his divorce, and he had won. I put the case of Jack Daniels

in my station wagon and took it to the Arches, put in on the bar and

chewed Bachlor out. He was really surprised. As he said, the case was

over so he wasn’t trying to bribe me. I explained that it was just one of

those things that wasn’t done.

I don’t know the present owner, but I do know Gibby Hernandez, the

oldest maitre d’ in town. Between them they operate one of our finest

restaurants.

I just wish the walls of the Arches could talk. During the days when the

Lloyd Claire/Frank Rinehart political machine ran this town -- from 1928

until the mid-1950s -- all political deals were made in the Arches and

all pre-public council meetings were held there. On the other hand,

perhaps it’s just as well the walls can’t talk.

* JUDGE GARDNER is a Corona del Mar resident and former judge. His column

runs Tuesdays.