TAMPA, Fla. — At Joy Bar in Tampa, they get their ho ho ho on all year long.
"You walk in the door, and the lights just smack you in the face," said owner Trey Lawson. "It's a very welcoming place."
Those lights are Christmas lights—a lot of Christmas lights. There are trees, Santas, Grinches, ribbons and bows.
And yes, they play Christmas music.
Described as a "Christmas-themed dive bar," this charming spot on the edge of Seminole Heights went full yuletide about a year ago. Drink prices are very merry, and concoctions have punny names (Mistletoe Margarita, anyone?)
Trey's family has owned the bar and a connected liquor store for more than 30 years. The building itself dates all the way back to the 1940s, one of the first liquor licenses in Tampa.
But the bar was struggling, so Lawson decided to mix things up after visiting another Christmas bar.
"This is something Tampa needed, and Tampa is gravitating towards," said Lawson.
Joy Bar is open 7 days a week, and starting Dec. 1, if you wear a Christmas sweater there, you get a free drink.
For more on Joy Bar, go here.
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