Last call is officially on the calendar for Bar Fly on Main Street in Safety Harbor. The neighborhood favorite will pour its final round on Thursday, after the owners agreed to sell the longtime corner spot to the Frenchy's restaurant group. The deal is scheduled to close on Friday, and Bar Fly's owners say they are already planning a new restaurant in Palm Harbor. Regulars can expect the tiki-bar vibe and many menu staples to wind down as the business hands the keys to its new operator.
As reported by the Tampa Bay Times, the buyer is Frenchy's, the sale will close at the end of the month, and the Safety Harbor location will serve its last customers on July 30 while Bar Fly maps out a Palm Harbor outpost.
Safety Harbor location and license
According to the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation, Bar Fly Saltwater Grill holds a current food-service license for 100 Main St., Suite 101 in Safety Harbor and has a record of routine inspections this year. The state listing, under license number SEA6216005, confirms the Main Street address along with the restaurant's recent inspection history.
Local roots and a new Palm Harbor chapter
Owner Jeff Harrell first launched the Bar Fly concept in March 2012, then moved into the larger 100 Main Street space in 2017, according to local reporting from Safety Harbor Connect. The planned Palm Harbor spot keeps the Bar Fly name in Pinellas County even as the Main Street address gets ready for a new menu and a new operator.
What this means for Main Street
Frenchy's is a longtime Clearwater-area restaurant group with several beachside locations, and its acquisition would bring that familiar seafood brand into downtown Safety Harbor, according to Frenchy's own location listings. For now, Bar Fly's crew is focused on closing out their Main Street run and building the Palm Harbor project, while Frenchy's prepares the corner space for its next chapter.
