By: Graci Pennington
Gulf Shores on Alabama’s Gulf Coast was mostly wetlands with a remote beachfront and reduced accessibility until the completion of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway in 1937, according to the City of Gulf Shores website.
One of the first recorded population counts revealed that Gulf Shores only had 120 residents in 1956, according to laciemaynard.com. The Alabama Supreme Court granted the city incorporation in 1958, and the city of Gulf Shores was official.
“Gulf Shores had one grocery store, and it was the only one in the area of Baldwin County. People who were residents in Foley and Orange Beach had to drive to Gulf Shores to buy their groceries,” said Jeremy Sullivan, a longtime resident.
Now with the population sitting at 13,426, many locals still point to one of the oldest restaurants on the main drag in Gulf Shores. The hot pink building is hard to miss.
In 1956, the Pink Pony Pub was established in the pink building that featured a long wooden pier on the waterfront. During this time, Gulf Shores was still a small city filled with a handful of humble homes and fish shacks.
Residents say if you can't spot the Pink Pony Pub, you're probably not legal to drive. It’s not coral, salmon, fuchsia, blush or rose. It's hot pink like fresh bubble gum.
For over a decade, the restaurant remained as a neighborhood bar that invited locals and tourists to enjoy their fresh seafood and drinks.
In 1979, Hurricane Frederic roared through the Gulf Coast, taking the original Pink Pony out. Not only did they lose their restaurant, but also the notorious old wooden pier.
But it came back just as pink as ever.
The Pink Pony has survived numerous hurricanes like Ivan and Sally. It has endured the new rise of condominiums and the shifting sands of tourists for more than six decades.
“Growing up, there was only two lanes of traffic heading towards the beach. The restaurant has really sustained a lot, especially through the hurricanes,” said Sullivan.
While visiting the Gulf Coast, stop and take a seat at the Pink Pony Pub. Have lunch or dinner with some family and friends. Learn about the history in the making of this notorious restaurant and how the city has come to be. What was once a big beach with a small town is now a big town with a big beach.
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