Vermont Business Magazine A century after they began, the 1920s are roaring back to northwestern Vermont with the addition of The Clothier, a speakeasy that also pays homage to the rich retail history of downtown St Albans.
Tom Murphy officially opened The Clothier at 22 North Main Street in early December during a party that attracted customers dressed as gangsters and flappers. The Clothier is adjacent to Twiggs American Gastropub, which Murphy also owns. The businesses are connected by “secret entrances,” and patrons of The Clothier can order food from Twiggs.
The “Twiggs” name is a nod to G.P. Twigg, who operated a men’s and boys’ clothing store — now in the exact location of The Clothier — from the late 1880s through the turn of the century. Old, blown-up newspaper ads from Twigg’s clothing store adorn The Clothier, and The Clothier’s “storefront” features authentic 1920s furniture and apparel — as well as an original Schonbek chandelier. St. Albans artist Jon Young’s Prohibition-themed mural at the front of The Clothier indicates trouble is brewing inside.
In true speakeasy fashion, patrons access The Clothier by entering a faux changing room in the front and pushing on an empty candlestick that hangs on a wall. Murphy and his staff designed The Clothier with the utmost authenticity — from the chess set and red-velvet pool table to the baby grand player piano near the full bar. The bar — where martinis and cosmos are served — was constructed from an old bowling alley that was once in the Swanton (Vt.) Recreation Center.
A sign near The Clothier entrance encourages cell phone prohibition. Murphy is asking patrons of to put their phones away and interact with each other, which is one of the missions of Sweethearts & Heroes, the national anti-bullying team he co-founded in 2011.
The general manager of The Clothier is Loudon Granger, 23, who graduated from Bellows Free Academy-St. Albans in 2014. Granger started working for Murphy as a dishwasher at Twiggs when Granger was 16 and still in high school at Bellows Free Academy-St. Albans.
“The themes here are connection and belonging, and we need more reasons for people to come to St. Albans,” said Murphy. “This is not just about the spirits. It’s about The Spirit of Humanity. This is a place to come slow down from our quick lives and to make the most important thing: relationships.”
Speakeasy bars that mimic the illicit clubs from the 1920s have been a growing trend nationally in the last decade, and the Volstead Act, which sparked the 18th Amendment and prohibition, will turn 100 in January 2020. The Clothier will host a New Year’s Eve Bash on Dec. 31, and attendees must wear 1920s-era attire or accessories to attend. For details, find The Clothier on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/theclothiervt/
“This is totally different than any other place in town,” said St. Albans resident Sam Dussault, who dressed as a flapper during The Clothier’s grand opening on Dec. 3. “I love the whole atmosphere.”