PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — After more than a year of closure following back-to-back devastating hurricanes, the nearly 80-year-old Friendly Tavern in Redington Shores has reopened its doors just weeks before New Year's Eve.
The beloved beach bar, established in 1947, serves as more than just a watering hole for the community. It's a place where locals celebrate, grieve, and take care of each other.
Hurricane Helene delivered the tavern's most devastating blow in its long history, forcing it to close for a year and three months. The storm's floodwaters reached chest-high levels, wiping out the interior of the establishment. Adding to the challenge, the new owner had purchased the property just days before the hurricane struck.
"It's been absolutely amazing. We've all waited so long for us to be open, and it's been so wonderful to see everybody come back in. And the feeling has been incredible," said Darlene Campbell, a bartender at the Friendly Tavern.
The reopening has brought immense relief to regulars like Jack Tanenbaum, who has celebrated multiple milestone birthdays at the tavern.
"My 60th, my 70th, and my 80th," Tanenbaum said when asked about the birthdays he's celebrated there.
For Tanenbaum, whose house was also flooded during the hurricane, the tavern's reopening represents a return to normalcy.
"This is the greatest bar. I mean, it's friendly. It's called Friendly Tavern, obviously, right? Everybody knows everybody. They reopened. Our house was flooded. We just moved back. My wife said I got my kitchen and friendlies, we're all set," Tanenbaum said.
The tavern serves as an emotional refuge for many in the community, including Shane Skrczewski, an emergency room nurse who recently came to the bar to mourn the loss of his 18-year-old dog named "Ezzy."
"Oh yeah, I'm an ER nurse, and I watch people die for a living, and this is where I breathe," Skrczewski said about why the tavern serves as his local watering hole.
"I put my dog down two days ago," Skrczewski said through tears.
But the supportive community atmosphere that defines the Friendly Tavern quickly lifted his spirits. Friends cheered him up while bartenders like Campbell kept the drinks flowing, demonstrating the caring environment that has made the establishment a cornerstone of the community for decades.
Campbell, who has become beloved by the regulars, describes the tavern's atmosphere as comparable to that of the fictional bar on the television show "Cheers."
"I love these guys. Absolutely love them. They're wonderful," Campbell said. "This place is the cheers of Redington Shores. We are very comparable to Cheers. We know just about everyone who walks through it. If we don't know, we know by the time they walk out."
The Friendly Tavern's resilience mirrors that of the Redington Shores community, which continues to rebuild and recover from hurricane damage while maintaining the close-knit bonds that define the area.
This story was reported on-air by Michael Paluska and converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Paluska and our editorial team verify all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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