Dan Pemberton, owner of the now-closed Pesky Pelican Brew Pub. Credit: PeskyPelicanStPete / Facebook

While bars, restaurants and clubs across Tampa Bay rang in the new year last weekend, one St. Pete staple celebrated a much more unfortunate festivity.

Pesky Pelican Brew Pub located at 923 72nd St. N in St. Pete’s Azalea neighborhood served its very last customers on New Years Eve, where regulars gathered for a potluck party and drained the last of its bottles and taps. Pesky Pelican Brew Pub offered an “all you care to drink” special for $20 during its last days.

Owner Dan Pemberton announced the closure on Wednesday, Dec. 27 on social media.

Pemberton told St. Pete Catalyst that staggering debts related to the COVID-19 pandemic—accompanied by personal losses in his family—ultimately lead to the closure of the Pesky Pelican.

Pemberton and his daughter, who is also associated with the LLC that owns Pesky Pelican, are both filing for personal bankruptcy, as well as bankruptcy of the business itself.

Alongside Pesky Pelican’s recent closure, the future of a nearby food pantry, Love Thy Neighbor Community Market, is also up in the air. The Catalyst also reports that Pemberton had been paying the adjacent food pantry’s rent for the past year and a half, and with Pesky Pelican’s closure, it’s unsure of Love Thy Neighbor will remain open—but donations via GoFundMe are always welcome.

Pesky Pelican opened out of the former McNally’s Neighborhood Grill location in West St. Pete in 2016, fulfilling Pemberton’s life-long dream of turning his home-brewing hobby into a successful brewpub.

The laid-back, neighborhood bar and restaurant was known for its solid tap list and casual, St. Louis-style fare like burgers, sandwiches, fried shrimp baskets and pizza, alongside its stacked event calendar of trivia nights, live music and happy hours.

Many regular customers and supporters took to Facebook to write various “thank yous” to Pemberton for creating a welcoming space and helping the community throughout 2020’s COVID-19 pandemic.

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This article appears in Dec 28, 2023 – Jan 3, 2024.