CLEARWATER, Fla. — This weekend will be Tampa Bay's last chance to "eat, drink and be Mary."
Clearwater's drag queen-staffed burger spot, Hamburger Mary's, announced on Monday that it will be closing its doors for good after its events on March 12.
This closing marks the end of the last surviving Hamburger Mary's in the Tampa Bay area. The Ybor City location closed in 2018 after the health department said an employee tested positive for Hepatitis A — a claim the restaurant denied — during an outbreak that impacted several other area restaurants.
The Brandon and St. Petersburg locations closed shortly after in 2019.
Since the 1972 opening of its first location in San Francisco, Hamburger Mary's has become a staple of the LGBTQ+ community recognized nationwide. With its food, eclectic decor and quirky charm, it's known as the “open-air bar and grille for open-minded people."
Although there are locations all across the country, Hamburger Mary's isn't your typical chain. The original owners granted licensing agreements for other locally-owned restaurants to use their name.
If you want to join the Clearwater location's final celebrations, it's holding events like drag queen bingo, trivia and brunch every day from Wednesday, March 8, through Sunday, March 12.
Guests can also still visit the Hamburger Mary's locations in Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Jacksonville.
Hamburger Mary's post didn't share its reason for closing but did hint at plans to see its "amazing divas" on a stage in the near future.
"It’s so hard to say goodbye so instead we will say see you later," the restaurant wrote.