‘It’s the end of an era.’ This historic Bradenton bar is closing Thursday.
The wall out front reads: “The oldest bar in Bradenton.”
Tip Top Tavern is a biker bar that has served beer to generations of locals since 1941. Thursday is its last day of business.
The property at 512 Manatee Ave. W. has been sold for development. It had an asking price of $200,000 on multiple realty websites.
“This bar has partied so much, it doesn’t need to party any more,” owner Jesse James said. “It’s the end of a great era for Bradenton.”
James was not told what is going to replace the bar, but he has heard rumors that it will be a convenience store.
James has owned the bar for 11 years.
On Wednesday afternoon, James pulled years-worth of memorabilia off the walls. Most of the objects were brought in by patrons.
“This place is like a museum,” James said.
The collection includes hundreds of dollar bills stapled to every inch of wall, a leopard skin, boar’s heads, a beer can airplane and countless other oddities.
Some of the bills had a place in a shrine over the jukebox honoring motorcyclists killed in accidents. All of them will be transferred to The Ridehard Saloon, James’ other bar.
Ron Eubanks piled heaps of beads into a trash can in the middle of the tavern.
“I’ve been coming here for 45 years,” Eubanks said. “I’ve been here a long time. I was here back when they used to sell raw oysters on Bradenton Beach.”
As the men worked, a passing car on Manatee Avenue beeped a friendly greeting.
“That’s how people say hello,” James said.
The bar has also drawn some ire during its time.
A confederate flag once waved over the building. James said he got frequent calls from the judges down the road asking for it to be taken down. Eventually, it was.
James describes Tip Top as an “old cracker bar, no frills.”
The patrons’ music of choice is southern rock, and many founders of the genre have frequented the tavern over the years.
“The Allman Brothers, they all drank here. Dickey Betts, everybody. Moody Blues too,” James said. “There will never be another one like this.”
This story was originally published July 25, 2018 at 2:49 PM.