PEORIA — Once shuttered by the city, Peoria’s “world famous” strip club is now open for business. But the notorious club has a different look and feel under new ownership.
Ahead of Big Al’s reopening, owner Ty Seibert welcomed the Journal Star into the building for a preview of what patrons can expect at the revamped downtown club.
Here’s what customers should know about the reopening Big Al’s.
Big Al’s strip club to have much smaller footprint
The most noticeable change between the old Big Al’s and the new Big Al’s is the size and capacity of the club.
The high-ceiling main room of Big Al’s, with the main stage and two smaller stages that used to serve as the club’s main room, is no longer used for the strip club operation. That area is closed to the public, for the time being.
Seibert plans on gutting that large area, removing the two smaller stages and creating a concert venue that he hopes to open in the fall. Once open, that venue would operate under a different name than Big Al’s and would not be operating simultaneously with the strip club.
The strip club will operate in a much smaller space with one bar and one stage. Capacity of that space is 139 people. The concert venue, Seibert hopes, will be able to hold up to 1,500 people when open.
Seibert wanted the strip club side of Big Al’s to have a smaller footprint. He said the old space was just too large for what that kind of operation should be.
“You walk in, you don’t imagine a strip club, in my eyes,” Seibert said of the old, larger space. “It needs to be more intimate.”
What else is new at Big Al’s in Peoria?
Perhaps to the chagrin some patrons, there isn’t a food menu at Big Al’s.
As the business expands its hours in the future, Seibert said he might consider adding food, but for now, it won’t be offered. Seibert said in its early days of reopening, he will be trying to get his arms around the business before thinking of adding things.
There’s a coverage charge at Big Al’s, starting at $10 at the door for its opening weekend.
The business will operate Thursday through Saturday from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Its hours could expand in the future if the city feels it is operating safely.
Downtown Peoria allows for liquor to be served until 4 a.m. with a special license. Big Al’s previously was open until 4 a.m.
How did Big Al’s come to reopen?
The strip club was shut down in 2024 by Peoria Mayor Rita Ali after a series of violent incidents, including shootings at the club. Ali and the city said Big Al’s would not be allowed to reopen unless it found new ownership.
Despite being closed for nearly two years, site approval for liquor sales was not lapsed by the city for the property. City attorney Patrick Hayes told the Journal Star the city had agreed to maintain the site approval as long as the businesses’ old ownership was divested.
The spot languished until Seibert, who also owns Saddle Up and The Zoo downtown, became involved.
Seibert said he worked with the city, including Ali, Hayes and City Manager Patrick Urich, to find a way to reopen the club under new rules. Those new rules are found in the form of an operational agreement signed between Seibert and the city.
The 15-point operation plan mostly addresses security concerns, mainly through the use of security cameras outside the building and at the entrance that the Peoria Police Department will have full access to. New lighting and mandatory security sweeps of the parking lot are also included in the plan.
Increased security is a focal point of Seibert’s, too. He wants patrons to feel the presence of security, specifically at the door. On Big Al’s opening night, Seibert said he planned to have six men working the door.
“I like a strong door,” Seibert told the Journal Star. “I am not playing around.”
Most notable at the door, however, is the presence of a “state of the art” weapons detection system, which cost the business $100,000. That weapons detection system is akin to what is used at airports and is the same type of system, not to be confused with a metal detector, used at NBA games.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: After closing in 2024, Big Al’s reopens in Peoria with major changes
Reporting by JJ Bullock, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
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