Credit: Photo via Blue Lizard/Yelp

Credit: Photo via Blue Lizard/Yelp

Despite the current uptick in coronavirus cases, The Blue Lizard Beer Lounge officially opened its doors last Thursday.

The beer bar, located at 5025 E. Fowler Ave., is owned by Riley and Manny Franco, whose love of sharing craft beer overcame an apprehension to start a business during a global pandemic. 

“We thought about it a lot,” Manny Franco said according to the release. “The opportunity presented itself, and we were eager to share good beer with good people, but understandably, we were apprehensive. In the end, our love of craft beer and the people who brew it, and our passion for sharing that beer with others made the choice to open an obvious one.” 

The bar was formerly called the Blue Lizard Hookah Lounge

For now, the new beer bar will have limited hours from 6 p.m. -1 a.m. and has implemented safety precautions like sanitizing stations, rigorous overnight cleans and the lounge has even filled its beer pong cups with sanitizer, according to a press release. 

The Blue Lizard is offering “Hero Happy Hour,” which grants happy hour pricing to any medical professionals and first responders who visit the lounge while in uniform. 

In an effort to create a lounge a “classic house party" feel, The Blue Lizard offers popular games like Jenga, Foosball and beer pong.

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Christopher is a current journalism student at the University of Florida. His past work can be seen at Ears to Feed, The Independent Florida Alligator and Cigar City Management.