A real Dive Bar to open in Gulfport

A bit of GaYbor is moving west to the beach community of Gulfport.

The owners of G.Bar, the Honey Pot and other popular gay bars in Ybor City are expanding to Pinellas County with this weekend's opening of Dive Bar and Grill.

"I think Gulfport is one of the unknown treasures of Florida," co-owner Stephen Moss said. "I think the potential is tremendous."

Moss and his partners Steven Donahue and Ernie Webb initially marketed the club as "Tampa Bay's first gay beach" but dropped it after some locals objected to the bar being exclusively gay, rather than open to everyone.

Besides, the bar technically isn't on the beach. It's across the street.

Dive Bar and Grill at 3128 Beach Blvd. takes over the old Roman Gardens spot, which recently closed after less than a year. To meet Gulfport rules, it must be a restaurant, first and foremost, that has a bar.

The Ybor bar owners weren't necessarily scouting sites in Gulfport, but when the opportunity arose, they couldn't pass it up. Gulfport is well‑known for its diversity and acceptance of gays.

"I grew up in St. Petersburg, and I had never been to Gulfport," Donahue said. "We all came down here and fell in love with it."

Gulfport Mayor Mike Yakes said Dive Bar is a welcome addition as long as it follows the city's rules. That includes limits on noise, a frequent complaint.

"Gulfport is a family community," he said. "We have hours of operation in place. We have a police department in place. If the ordinances and rules aren't broken, we should be fine."

The 10,000-square-foot space will have a main dining room, an outdoor bamboo bar, a game room with video games, dart boards and a pool table, and a rooftop deck overlooking the water. Mc Film Festival, a video and music store at the heart of GaYbor, will have a small store next door selling beach-themed items, from men's bathing suits to sunscreen.

Dive Bar's owners credit the success of their Ybor bars, which also include the Ybor Social Club and the Ybor Eagle, for making the new business possible. They succeeded in Ybor where others have failed because they've tapped a particular market instead of trying to serve everyone, Donahue said.

If successful, the owners may try to expand the concept to other cities, possibly Orlando or Atlanta.