St. Petersburg’s Punky’s Bar and Grill closed its doors for good Wednesday, the LGBTQ-owned business announced on social media.
The bar and restaurant, located at 3063 Central Ave N in the Grand Central District, opened in December 2015 and quickly became a popular destination in the neighborhood.
In its release, the company said it had accomplished a lot in nearly seven years, including hosting fundraisers that raised more than $150,000, including Charity Drag Bingo events that benefited more than 100 organizations without profit spirit of the area.
“We’ve made friends, loyal customers, we’ve gained an incredible team of employees who have become family. We worked hard, laughed hard, and made a difference every chance we got,” the post read. “We’ve become a safe place for the LGBTQ+ community, a melting pot for people from ALL walks of life … and their pets! We’ve celebrated victories, survived struggles, mourned losses, and come together to help each other and the community.”
St. Petersburg’s Punky’s Bar and Grill closed its doors for good Wednesday, the LGBTQ-owned business announced on social media. The bar and restaurant, located at 3063 Central Ave N in the Grand Central District, opened in December 2015 and quickly became a popular destination in the neighborhood. [ Michaela Mulligan / Tampa Bay Times ]
The post went on to say that “Lynn and John would like to thank EVERYONE who has supported Punky’s since we opened on December 15th, 2015. It has truly been an amazing journey. We are honored that you have chosen to support Punky’s and we will cherish our friendships and all the memories we’ve made together.”
No reason was given for the closing, other than “Punky’s has been a joy to so many people, but is ready to retire…gracefully.”
This is a developing story. Stay with tampabay.com for updates.
