Beloved Tampa biker bar and music venue Born Free Pub & Grill is closed

One of Tampa Bay’s best new music venues has abruptly closed after less than two years on the scene.

On social media, Born Free Pub & Grill told followers that it has lost its lease and is closing doors today. “We are not done with you Tampa. We will relocate to a bigger and better place and continue our mission as a home for underground arts of music and performance,” the post added. “Please keep an eye on this page as we will be needing our community’s help in the coming months.”

Born Free—a biker bar located at 110 E Waters Ave. in Tampa’s Sulphur Springs neighborhood—quickly established itself as a prime venue for metal and hardcore. It  hosted bands featuring members of Municipal Waste, up-and-coming bands in metal, and even tried-and-true independent favorites like Norman Westberg of Swans and Lydia Lunch.

Owner Afzaal Deen, a New Yorker who was active in the Big Apple’s ‘90s counterculture scene and activist protests, started working with local promoters in 2022 to turn the biker bar into one of the city’s most-respected and loved underground venues. In August, Born Free surpassed the 100 show mark, hosting more than 500 bands along the way.

In a phone call with Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, Deen said that he and his wife signed a five-year lease for the property in 2020, and opened in the heart of the pandemic. Their landlord at the time, Robert Millic, was a great guy, Deen said, adding that he loved the couple and was fully supportive of Born Free.

Deen had poured more than $15,000 into plans for a kitchen at Born Free, which has yet to be completed due to tie ups in permitting, contracting and more.

Robert Millic died last spring, and calls to entities connected to his LLC, which leased the property to Born Free, have not been returned.

Despite he and his wife investing $95,000 into Born Free—including all of their savings to keep doors open during Covid and beyond—Deen told CL that Born Free had fallen behind on its rent. The venue was playing catch up and wanted to pay back what they owed. On Oct. 9, a 10-day notice was sent to Born Free's registered agent in St. Petersburg, but it never reached the Deens.

Tampa promoter Eliot Mayo of Locust Parade Booking has already launched a GoFundMe to help the Deens hit the ground running at a new, to-be-determined spot.

"I can say with no uncertainty that there are multiple shows both myself and others have booked at Born Free that simply wouldn’t be logistically viable at the majority of other available venues at our city," Mayo wrote. He said Deen charged low overhead and truly cares about every artist and patron that stepped foot into the venue.

"Himself and his staff has always been accommodating in a way that not only made running a show much less stressful than usual, but has made Born Free truly feel like a home away from home for both local and touring bands and the crowds that showed up to see them," Mayo added.

Born Free was also applauded for creating an environment where fans and bands could not only completely let loose, but not worry about having to bump into some of the white supremacist ideals that permeate certain corners of the punk and hardcore scene.

Deen told CL that the $30,000 goal for the GoFundMe will be seed money for wherever Born Free lands.

"The outpouring of support has been overwhelming, and we want to bounce back," Deen added. "I know there's a big need for a venue like ours in Tampa."
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