The James Joyce/Hail Mary Becomes the Avondale Arms -- For Now

Avondale Estates' most popular watering hole is having an identity crisis.

The establishment known for years as the and for the last two-and-half months as The Hail Mary sports bar started calling itself the Avondale Arms last weekend.

That won't last long, owner Denise Gerard said Sunday night.

Gerard, who also owns the popular Brewhouse Cafe in Little Five Points, said the Avondale pub will adopt a similar name soon. It will keep elements of a sports bar, such as multiple television sets, she said.

What happened?

The James Joyce opened in 2002 and had a loyal following. It stopped operating under that name in late September, .

It opened a few days later as The Hail Mary and had a ribbon cutting attended by the city commission.

The Hail Mary in Avondale was modeled after and run by the Hail Mary sports bar in Grayson. Gerard said the folks who run the Hail Mary had planned to take over with a long-term lease in January.

"Last week we met and they said, 'We can't do that,' " Gerard said.

Gerard started running the pub again, needed a new name quick and went with the Avondale Arms.

She said she immediately changed the menu, using many dishes from the Brewhouse Cafe in Little Five Points. Business was good over the weekend, she said.

She'll said she'll need to nail down a name before January when liquor licenses are renewed.

"Everybody says you should call it the Brewhouse in Avondale," she said.

Patch telephoned the manager of the Hail Mary Sunday and left a voice message, but didn't get a call back.

 Gerard said the Brewhouse Cafe in Little Five Points has a large following of soccer and rugby fans. She hopes some of them will come to Avondale Estates, especially fans with children.