The bell deals a distinct – some might lean toward obnoxious – tone. Yet its reverberations set off a frenzy as the anticipation coiled in the minds of those who know its peal releases alongside the curiosity of those who don’t.
Clearly the bell is of some significance. People hover around the bar. Bartenders are responsible for setting off the bell and it could happen at any time. “You can tell who’s lingering,” says James Garvin, a bartender at Bud’s inside Carmel’s La Playa Hotel. “Ring that bell, people pop up. I don’t know where they all come from.”
It announces Dime Time, the bar’s long-standing 10-minute happy hour. Mixed drinks from the well, house wines and a beer of the bartender’s choice sell for 10 cents, exact change.
Faithful guests habitually gather around 5pm. Dime Time was once a scheduled affair. But, Garvin explains, “it got too insane.” So now the bell rings at the bartender’s discretion, and that can depend upon the vibe, a sizable tip or just a whim.
Fortunately, waiting for the bell at Bud’s is no chore. Garvin and his mates behind the bar turn out a crisp martini. There are specialty cocktails like Writer’s Fuel or Doc Ricketts’ Lab.
Two of us scavenged a few dimes and sat at the bar on a recent Friday afternoon. Dime Time fortune didn’t favor us. There was, however, no disappointment. “Dime time is about camaraderie,” Garvin says. And that’s the case whether or not you are there when the bell rings.