EL CAPITAN BAR

Carlos and Hortencia Aguilar are the proud owners of El Capitan Bar, the club formerly known as the Chicago Night Club.

"I called it El Capitan because I am a shrimp boat captain," said Aguilar who has spent 55 of his 67 years chasing shrimp in the Gulf of Mexico. "I'm leaving the fourteenth because I want to be in position when the shrimp season opens the next day. I love the sea. I love it more than the bar business. I usually travel up the coast to Louisiana, but this year I'll be trolling off Texas. How long will I be gone? Forty days more or less."

Aguilar and his spouse are no strangers to the Market Square after-hours action. They have been proprietors of Los Pescadores Tavern a few doors down the street for more than two decades. His wife says that both places are safe. There are never any problems.

"Is it dangerous downtown?" poses Aguilar. "There are people who are afraid to walk out of their houses. There are people who are afraid of the night. There are people who are afraid to stick their big toe in the water. Dangerous? The only place I feel safer is on my shrimp boat."

Aguilar insists that the key to success is to keep it simple. He maintains a low overhead.

"Our clients are down-to-earth," continues the shrimper. "They don't expect anything fancy. They want their beer cold and cheap. A juke box and a few girls suffice for them. The gals don't have to be pretty either, just friendly."