The Venice Whaler has started serving alcohol again, and the beachfront bar near the Venice Fishing Pier is celebrating with a deal that stretches well past the usual happy-hour window. All cocktails are priced at $12 for the rest of the day, with the official happy hour running from 2 to 7 p.m.
“The Venice Whaler is back,” according to yovenice.com, which reported the bar's return to drink service at the location at 10 Washington Blvd in Venice, California. The bar announced its comeback with an Instagram video showing an entire pitcher of margaritas being poured into a glass, a celebratory nod to its reopened taps.
A Paperwork Snag, Not a Shutdown
The reopening follows a stretch in which the Venice Whaler had stopped serving alcohol entirely. Owner Mike Dobson attributed the pause to a paperwork error, according to the Santa Monica Daily Press, while KTLA reported that the reason for the sudden halt in alcohol sales remained unclear. Separately, the bar's California Alcoholic Beverage Control license record showed a Board of Equalization hold, which was described as a collections suspension, the same yovenice.com report on the initial stoppage noted.
Whatever the cause, the Daily Press reported that the bar did not lose its liquor license and was not going out of business during the pause. The restaurant's marketing representative had predicted that alcohol service would resume by the end of the week, according to the Santa Monica Mirror. Alcohol service has since resumed.
Keeping the Lights On With Food Deals
While the bar waited out the suspension, it leaned on its kitchen to keep customers coming through the door. The Venice location stayed open with its full food menu, offering $3 pizza slices and a $10 burger-and-fries combo, the Daily Press reported. The Daily Press also reported that guests who dined during the pause would receive a 50% off coupon for a future visit.
Not everything about the Whaler changed during the disruption. The Santa Monica Whaler at 101 Broadway remained open with full food and bar service the entire time, according to the Daily Press. Westside Today similarly reported that the sister location had not indicated any cessation of alcohol service or other changes, and KTLA noted that both Whaler locations remained open throughout the Venice bar's alcohol pause.
Back to Business After the Pause
Now that alcohol service has resumed, the Venice Whaler is back to its regular rhythm, open until 2 a.m. on Thursdays. The historic bar has operated at its Washington Boulevard address since 1944, a run of more than eight decades that has made it a fixture near the Venice Fishing Pier, per the Daily Press.
For now, the focus is on the all-day $12 cocktails and the 2 to 7 p.m. happy hour that came with the bar's return, details first reported by the Santa Monica Mirror. It is a welcome-back gesture for regulars who stuck around through the uncertainty, and a sign that the Whaler intends to pick up right where it left off.
