Downtown Fairhope has never lacked for pleasant places to share a drink with friends, but in the summer of 2022, a new spot on Section Street took an unusual route to get there. The Monkey Bar, an open-air Fairhope cocktail bar created by interior designer Ellen Semple, was built out of the drive-through teller lanes of a former PNC bank branch. The result was a leafy, tropical-feeling hideaway right in the middle of downtown, and it quickly caught the attention of the girls’-night-out crowd.
From Bank Building to Boutique
Semple acquired the old PNC bank building on Section Street and renovated it to open Five Gold Monkeys, a boutique specializing in fine furniture, fabric, accessories and gifts. The Fairhope shop was the store’s second location, following the original in Mobile.
An interior designer for 25 years, Semple had to think long and hard about the potential of the property, and one feature in particular posed a puzzle: the bank’s drive-through teller station. Where others might have seen an awkward leftover, she saw a perfect walk-up opportunity. The drive-through became covered seating and a deck, and the old exit lane was turned into an open patio.
“I enjoy green space and I wanted as much greenery as possible,” Semple said. “The Monkey Bar is a play on the name of my store, Five Gold Monkeys. When I think of monkeys, I think of the jungle. I wanted it to feel like a tropical oasis, an escape in the middle of downtown.”
A Tropical Oasis on Section Street
By all accounts, she succeeded. On a late-July visit shortly after the opening, a group of friends found a cozy covered corner to settle into. The outdoor furnishings were stylish and comfortable, reflecting the eye of a designer who clearly thought about every detail. Large planters overflowing with greenery formed a living screen that gave the space a feeling of privacy, while huge ceiling fans kept the air moving.
Patio tables with umbrellas provided shade, and a handsome covered bar anchored the space, giving the whole place the feel of an island getaway rather than a former bank lot. The menu offered a nice selection of wine and beer alongside specialty cocktails, and at least one of those cocktails earned high marks. The servers were attentive, and on that hot July afternoon, Semple herself handed out colorful jute fans to help guests cope with the heat.
That kind of personal touch was central to her vision. “I look at the bar like I am inviting people into my home, including a warm open welcome, casual friendly atmosphere, high-end cocktails, wine, and beer,” she said.
The Chunky Monkey Bushwhacker
Semple described herself as someone who is always creating and loves trying new things, and she said the specialty cocktail list would always include something new. She and her stepson, Henry Semple, who served as general manager, came up with the names of the specialty drinks and built the cocktail list together.
The standout at the time was the Chunky Monkey Bushwhacker, made from Semple’s own recipe, which had been introduced just a day before that July visit. Guests who really wanted to splurge could add a dark chocolate-covered banana. A dessert martini list was also in the works.
Choosing a Bushwhacker as a signature drink was a savvy move on the Gulf Coast. The creamy, frozen blend of rum, coffee liqueur, cream of coconut and other ingredients is often described as a grown-up milkshake, and it is closely identified with the beaches of Alabama and Northwest Florida. The drink is generally traced to the U.S. Virgin Islands in the 1970s and was popularized along the Gulf by the Sandshaker Lounge on Pensacola Beach, which has long promoted itself as the drink’s Gulf Coast home. Today, nearly every beach bar along the coast serves its own version, and inventive twists like a banana-and-chocolate take are part of the fun.
Plans for Food, Music and Football
When it opened, the Monkey Bar was focused on drinks, but Semple had bigger plans. She said the bar hoped to add “nibbles” to the menu within a few weeks and was looking to either partner with a local business or hire someone to run the kitchen.
“We would like to also invite Food Trucks to our back area for special events,” she said at the time. “We will also have live music from time to time. Being a huge football fan, we will be well set for the football season.”
Semple added that people had already asked about renting the space for special events. “We will need a little more time to work towards that, but with our extra space behind The Monkey Bar, we are already thinking about the possibilities,” she said.
Those plans described what the owner hoped to do in 2022. Readers interested in the bar’s current menu, events, music schedule or rental options should check directly with the business, since offerings at any restaurant or bar evolve over time.
Adaptive Reuse in a Walkable Downtown
The Monkey Bar is a small but telling example of adaptive reuse, the practice of giving older buildings new purposes rather than tearing them down. Former bank branches, with their drive-through canopies and wide lots, can be tricky to repurpose, but they often come with valuable assets: a prime location, built-in shade structures and outdoor space that can be converted into patios and seating areas.
In Fairhope, where downtown’s walkability is a major part of its charm, turning a drive-through into a place where people linger on foot fits the character of the district. Fairhope was founded in 1894 as a single-tax colony, a utopian experiment built on the economic ideas of Henry George, and it has grown into one of Alabama’s most admired small cities. Its downtown, centered on the intersection of Fairhope Avenue and Section Street, is known for flower-lined sidewalks, independent shops, galleries, restaurants and a steady stream of festivals and art walks. Section Street runs through the heart of it, making the Monkey Bar an easy stop between shopping and dinner.
Something for Every Occasion
With its laid-back, casual feel, the Monkey Bar positioned itself as an easy fit for almost any occasion:
- A girls’ night out with friends
- Date night before or after dinner downtown
- A break from shopping along Section Street and Fairhope Avenue
- An after-work cocktail
- A leisurely afternoon of day drinking under the fans
The combination of a boutique and a bar under one ownership also offers a clever synergy. Shoppers browsing furniture and gifts at Five Gold Monkeys could step outside for a drink, and bar guests could wander in to see the store. For a designer who treats the space like her own home, the connection between the two made natural sense.
Making an Evening of It in Downtown Fairhope
A drink at a spot like the Monkey Bar is often just one stop on a longer downtown outing. Fairhope’s compact center makes it easy to string together an afternoon or evening on foot. The city’s monthly First Friday Art Walk brings open galleries, shops and street musicians to downtown, and it has long been one of the most popular times to explore the district. Independent boutiques, bookstores and restaurants line the blocks around Fairhope Avenue and Section Street, and many of them stay open into the evening.
A few blocks west, Fairhope Avenue slopes down toward Mobile Bay, where the Fairhope Municipal Pier and its adjoining park and rose garden draw crowds for sunset. Watching the sun drop over the bay has been a local ritual for generations, and it pairs naturally with dinner or drinks downtown before or after. For visitors, the easy rhythm of shopping, strolling, a cocktail in the shade and a sunset on the pier captures much of what makes the Eastern Shore special.
Know Before You Go
At the time of its 2022 opening, the Monkey Bar was located at 51 South Section Street in downtown Fairhope and was open from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. As with any local business, hours and menus may have changed since then, so it is a good idea to confirm current details before visiting.
Visitors to downtown Fairhope should also keep a few practical points in mind. Parking downtown can fill quickly during festivals, art walks and weekend evenings, and the city’s public parking areas and side streets are good alternatives to the busiest blocks. Summer afternoons on the Eastern Shore are hot and humid, so shaded seating, ceiling fans and a cold drink are more than a luxury from June through September.
Joni Mitchell famously sang that they “paved paradise and put up a parking lot.” In downtown Fairhope, Ellen Semple flipped the script, taking a stretch of pavement built for banking cars and turning it into a little paradise of its own.