If the Arches’ walls could talk, what a tale they would tell

ROBERT GARDNER

* EDITOR’S NOTE: The Daily Pilot has agreed to republish The Verdict,

the ever popular column written for many years by retired Corona del

Mar jurist and historian Robert Gardner, in exchange for donations to

the Surfrider Foundation. This particular column was originally

published Sept. 21, 1999.

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 number-one

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.

* ROBERT GARDNER is a Corona del Mar resident and a former judge.