Joe Stebli was part of a steady stream of people who arrived at Arnie's Eating & Drinking Saloon yesterday for lunch, only to find the doors of the longtime West Toledo sports bar locked and an electricity shut-off notice stuffed in the doorway.

"I've been coming here for two years," he said. "I like the food and the atmosphere."

But yesterday, the future seems clouded for the 26-year-old bar, whose outspoken proprietor led the drive to overturn Toledo's smoking ban.

Neither Arnie Elzey, a past president of the Restaurant Association of Northwest Ohio, nor business partner John Ayling, a local investment executive, returned calls seeking comment.

Customers said the bar abruptly closed Thursday.

Records in Columbus show that the popular hangout failed to reapply for its liquor license, which expired Thursday.

Arnie's has 30 days to do so, said Matt Mullins, a spokesman for the Ohio Division of Liquor Control. But before it would be granted permission to resume serving alcohol, owners would have to pay taxes owed to the state Division of Taxation, he said. Mr. Mullins was unable to say how much the bar owes.

Arnie's, which is housed in a onetime hamburger stand in a shopping center parking lot across from the Westgate Village Shopping Center on Central Avenue at Secor Road, has been a Westgate-area institution since 1980.

But it has fallen on hard times in recent years. It was shuttered for a week last spring as owners made repairs and paid back rent, taxes, and utilities, Mr. Elzey told The Blade then.

Reached at his Westgate area-home, Clyde Dilley, who is listed on state records as one of four shareholders of owner Dabe Inc., said he was unaware of the closing.

No notice was posted on the door yesterday explaining what was going on. The bar showed signs of disrepair, however. Letters were falling off a marquee promoting "Spring Specials" and exterior wood siding was scarred with rot.

"Is Arnie's closed?" asked a surprised Melvin Wainright, of Toledo, as he arrived for lunch. "I've come here for years," he said. "The food is pretty good."

Patrons of two other popular West Toledo bars also will have to look for a new hangout - although, as at Arnie's, it is unclear if the situation in one case is permanent or temporary.

The Upper Deck Bar & Grill Inc., 2148 West Laskey Rd., was ordered to stop serving alcohol until it pays overdue state taxes, said Mr. Mullins, of the state Division of Liquor Control. The establishment can appeal the order or pay the taxes, but it can't serve alcohol until the matter is cleared up, he added.

Owners Jeffrey Clay, of Toledo, and Ronald Goodman, of Northwood, couldn't be reached for comment. A phone at the bar went unanswered yesterday.

Also, state records show that Ricco's Bar owes back taxes, but the owner opted not to reapply for a liquor permit.

A bar spokesman said that owner Dale Namanny of Toledo wanted to retire and closed the establishment at 5825 Jackman Rd. on Thursday after nearly 18 years. The closing was unrelated to tax issues, the spokesman said.

The developments at all three establishments were apparently triggered by the expiration of annual liquor licenses that take place on June 1 each year in northwest Ohio.

Contact Gary Pakulski at:

gpakulski@theblade.com

or 419-724-6082.

First Published June 3, 2006, 9:32 a.m.