The storefronts for Bradley’s on 7th (L) and Utopia Road in Ybor. (Photos by Ryan Williams-Jent)
TAMPA | Bradley’s on 7th celebrated 14 years in Ybor last month after the grand opening of Utopia Road Bar & Courtyard, its “baby sister” which began operating last year.
Owner Bradley Nelson opened his namesake in 2011, an LGBTQ+ safe space which quickly became a regional staple. He announced March 13 that it will continue operating for at least another decade.
“It is with great pleasure that I am able to announce that the building … has just been purchased by a new owner,” he shared via social media. “… the new owner wants to make major improvements to the existing building [and] make sure Bradley’s on 7th stays a long-term tenant.”
Nelson said he was offered a new five-year lease with an option for an additional five after that, which “means that Bradley’s is guaranteed to be around another 10 years!!” He added that it is “fantastic to have a solid lease and not have to worry about what will happen in the future.”
“The 14th anniversary at Bradley’s was awesome,” Nelson says. “I always aimed for long term and so far my plan has held true. With a new lease for another 10 years, I am even more excited to keep making Bradley’s better and better for the customers.”
To make that possible, Bradley’s has implemented a $5 cover on weekends. To reward long-term customers, Nelson announced VIP cards are available to circumvent the charges.
“I knew for a couple years that it was going to be impossible to stay ‘Never a Cover’ forever,” he says of the bar’s longtime vow. “The expenses were just too high.”
The entrepreneur says his first five-year lease was $6,800 per month, his second was $10,500 and his most recent rose to $17,800, all in addition to liability insurance and other rising costs.
“I knew I would have to either charge a cover or get rid of all the entertainment, and all the entertainment is what makes Bradley’s,” he says. Drag shows, dancers, DJs and special events regularly feature in the space.
“We have had some of the same customers since day one, or since the day that they moved to Tampa, and I didn’t want a cover to scare those people away,” he continues. “So I knew some exceptions had to be made.”
Read Nelson’s full announcement below:
Nelson has also worked to provide new and returning customers with another LGBTQ+ option in Ybor. Utopia Road, which holds 100 patrons inside and another 100 out, began operating in May 2024 and underwent extensive construction to realize his vision.
“I had been wanting to open another bar ever since Bradley’s opened,” Nelson says. He leaned on the idea of utopia itself when conceptualizing the space, “an imaginary world where everything is perfect.”
“Who wouldn’t want to live there?” he asks. “But since it is an imaginary place, we can only try and find a way to get there. Hence the idea of the road to Utopia … a place where we try and escape our daily lives and struggles and strive for a perfect place, even if it’s just while having a drink or two.”
While he originally billed the space as “a bar for everyone,” Nelson has since leaned into its LGBTQ+ roots. Utopia Road is now “Ybor’s neighborhood gay bar and business has quadrupled,” he says. View photos of its grand opening party below:
“Both bars are going to continue to grow,” Nelson promises. “Those that don’t want to pay cover at Bradley’s, can go over to Utopia and get in for free and still enjoy a gay, safe space.”
He also teases that he owns a third liquor license “that I need to find a home for, so I’m not done growing yet!”
Bradley’s on 7th is located at 1510 E. 7th Ave. and Utopia Road Bar & Courtyard is located at 1707 N 16th St. Learn more at BradleysOn7th.com and Facebook.com/UtopiaRoadBar.
