Husband-and-wife Kimmy Bruehl and Eric McKinney love going to tiki bars. Whenever they travel to a new city, one thing they enjoy doing is trying out the local tiki bars. Unfortunately, whenever friends visited Tampa, there wasn’t one here so that gave them the idea to open one. Kimmy and Eric have experience working in various bars in Tampa and their hometown of Springfield, Missouri so opening their own bar isn’t difficult. They’ve put the idea off for a few years but finally put that plans in motion last year.

There’s no doubt we all won’t have dreams of vacations on our minds. The Pink Pineapple is going to be one of the IT destinations for the summer. Take a break from your daily life to partake in the vacation vibes at the newest tiki bar in the city.

An excerpt from our Creative Loafing interview:

“Seminole Heights is about get some tropical vibes this summer with the debut of tiki bar concept The Pink Pineapple. 

Taking over the former location of The Refinery at 5137 N. Florida Ave., husband-and-wife duo Kimmy Bruehl and Eric McKinney are on a mission to open a beachy bar getaway in Tampa Bay.

The couple’s vision will integrate aspects of tiki bars they’ve visited on their previous travels into the aesthetic of The Pink Pineapple. 

The 2800-square-foot space allows guests to choose between a moodier aesthetic downstairs with black decor and pop of neon, or a more beachy aesthetic upstairs.

The hope is to allow locals to take a break from the day-to-day in their own city rather than having to travel to a remote island or kitschy vacation destination.

After leaving his last bartending gig, McKinney was itching to launch his own spot. “The only thing I wanted to do was open a tiki bar. It was something I always wanted to do — and there isn’t one here,” McKinney says.”

To learn more about The Pink Pineapple, follow them here and here.

PHOTO CRED: BECKY RUDOLF