After taking a pounding during the 2024 hurricane season, Friendly Tavern, the decades-old watering hole on the Redington Strip, is back in business, bringing karaoke nights, a tiki hut and a refreshed menu back to the beach crowd. The return follows months of repairs, a soft relaunch over Thanksgiving and an official ribbon-cutting earlier this winter. Regulars will spot familiar staff behind the bar, along with a new front porch crowned by a sign that reads “Welcome Stranger.”
Ribbon-cutting marks official return
As reported by Creative Loafing Tampa, the Redington Shores spot officially reopened last month with a ribbon-cutting ceremony following its Thanksgiving soft relaunch. The renovation brought a new front porch and that “welcome stranger” sign, and the relaunch also introduced a refreshed menu and a weekend build-your-own Bloody Mary bar aimed squarely at the morning crowd.
Hours, tiki hut and what to expect
The tavern’s website lists its address and notes that Friendly Tavern is once again open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a year-round tiki hut that pulls in early risers. Its About and Menu pages also tout regular trivia, bingo and weekend karaoke. Check the Friendly Tavern website for up-to-date hours and menus.
New owner wants to keep the old feel
Managing partner Kenny Davis, who also operates Saltwater Hippie in Madeira Beach, led the revamp and told Business Debut he wanted to preserve the bar’s character while expanding its offerings to include more breakfast options and local seafood. Beacon Media, via Yahoo, adds that Davis bought the tavern to help save one of Pinellas County’s oldest drinking spots and has rehired several longtime staffers.
A local mainstay returns
First opened in 1947 as The Alibi Eats, Friendly Tavern has long been a staple of the Redington Strip and is known for hosting one of Florida’s longest-running karaoke nights. Its reopening restores a piece of the beachfront scene that many residents say has been missing since the 2024 storms, and the blend of familiar faces and updated fare is aimed at making the bar a nightly draw once again, according to Creative Loafing Tampa.
