Beachside Favorite Friendly Tavern Planning October Comeback
The historic 1947 eatery reopens with full meals, tiki bar seating, and its original staff back in action.
Friendly Tavern is making its comeback at 18121 Gulf Blvd, Redington Shores, FL 33708, with October reopening plans. Managing partner Kenny Davis told Business Debut that they are restoring an old eatery that was established in 1947 with improvements after storm-related damage.
The restaurant keeps its original concept: a relaxed, family-friendly restaurant and bar serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner just steps from the Gulf of Mexico. The 2,000 square feet space will have indoor and outdoor spots to sit, including a popular tiki bar outside that surprisingly stayed after the storm. Inside, there will be about 90 seats, and outside, 60, making it a friendly place for both locals and tourists.
Opening hours are planned for 8 am to midnight daily, with late-night service on Fridays and Saturdays until 2 am. Guests can expect table service in a casual setting, where beachgoers are welcome.
The food menu will focus on a casual setting with handhelds, fish platters, and hearty breakfast offerings. Davis said breakfast is the main highlight, with a full breakfast buffet and a Bloody Mary bar to draw in people who are early risers. “We’re not fine dining by any means,” he said. “But we will be serving a lot of fish platters and really focusing on breakfast, it’s going to be our big seller.”
Davis and his group of business partners also operate Saltwater Hippie Beach Bar in Madeira Beach and the Cowboy Zantal nightclub in Largo. While Saltwater Hippie leans more toward beach bites and live music, Friendly Tavern will focus on more robust meals and a broader menu. “This is going to be a lot more full plates and more options,” Davis noted.
A highlight of the relaunch is bringing back much of the original staff, including cooks, bartenders, and servers who were displaced after the closure. “We’ve been shut down for almost nine months now because of the storm,” Davis said. “It was always a great breakfast spot. We're even bringing back some of the old cooks; it’s going to be very similar.”
For updates, you can visit Friendly Tavern’s new website.
Comments ()