Photo Credit: oldtownscottsdale.com
Some cities get gentrification. Scottsdale gets something far more entertaining: dive bars with grandeur. And nowhere is this phenomenon more perfectly encapsulated than at Giligin’s, the beloved Old Town watering hole that’s apparently decided one floor of unapologetic dive bar charm simply isn’t enough.
The establishment has submitted plans for what might be the most audaciously Scottsdale expansion ever conceived: a three-story transformation that would see their legendary dive bar grow upward into something resembling a luxury hospitality empire. We’re talking about a rooftop bar with dual staircase access (because why have one dramatic entrance when you can have two?), an upscale lounge complete with a second-story mezzanine, and because every good Scottsdale story needs a cherry on top, a third-story private office.
This is peak Scottsdale logic: take something perfectly imperfect and make it impossibly extra. Most cities would see a successful dive bar and think, “Don’t fix what isn’t broken.” Scottsdale sees a successful dive bar and thinks, “But what if it had a mezzanine?”
The beauty of Giligin’s proposed expansion lies in its sheer audacity. This is a place known for its no-frills approach, cheap drinks, and gloriously unpretentious atmosphere. Now they want to add an upscale lounge to the mix. It’s like putting a tuxedo on a perfectly good dog: unnecessary, but undeniably memorable.
Only in Scottsdale could a dive bar look at its single-story footprint and decide that vertical integration is the answer. Where else would someone seriously propose that the logical evolution of $3 well drinks is a private third-story office overlooking the desert?
It’s ambitious, it’s absurd, and it’s absolutely perfect for a city that has never met an over-the-top idea it didn’t want to make even more over-the-top. Whether this expansion materializes or not, the fact that someone dreamed it up is pure Scottsdale gold.