Taking The Grand Tour At Johnny A's Sports Bar And Grill (Photo 1)

Photo by John Hoff

During the "human chess tournament," participants were able to use the bathrooms inside Johnny A's Bar, which the authorities closed down. I had a chance to meet the owner, John Alexander, who told me the whole tale of why his business got shut down.

I didn't urge him to tell me the story. He just started telling it. This always happens to me.

I can't do the complex story justice and I'd be happy to put it on my blog if he'd write it all down, but this much I can say in summary:

1.) He believes the bar being shut down was basically a plot to get hold of his real estate for the purpose of West Broadway development.

2.) He threw drug dealers out of the bar with his own bare hands.

3.) He admits doing one thing wrong: buying liquor from a store instead of from a bar supplier when supplies ran low. But why shut him down for THAT? For crying out loud, people get MURDERED at the Fourth Street Saloon. (Actually, a guy was killed in the parking lot of the Fourth Street Bar the very next day, which certainly underscored the point the owner of Johnny A's was making)

I withhold judgment on what's going on here, but this much occurred to me: who would have this many cameras and then allow illegal activity? Here, in the basement, you see the numerous security cameras for the bar.

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