Winn-Dixie kills Brass Monkey

Last call for landmark Florida Keys bar

By RYAN McCARTHY

One of Marathon's most beloved watering holes is being forced
to close no later than 11:59 p.m. May 31.

Brass Monkey Lounge owner Judy Sorenson said she got the
shocking news this week in the form of a letter from
Winn-Dixie corporate lawyers in Jacksonville. The grocery
chain owns the mile marker 50 shopping center where the Brass
Monkey has been since 1973 and won't renew her lease.

Sorenson told her employees the news Thursday morning and word
quickly spread around town. She says there's little doubt in
her mind why this is happening.

"Winn-Dixie decided they don't want us here anymore. They
wanted to buy my liquor license and I wouldn't sell it,"
she said.

Sitting at the bar Thursday, Ernie Pratt, whose wife Nancy is
a Monkey bartender -- it's affectionately known as the Monkey
-- said "the locals are not happy at all. This is the hub
for the entire coconut telegraph for the Keys. It all comes
through here and it's dispensed."

"This is like a second home for a lot of people; they
network here," longtime Marathon resident Bob Hamilton
said. He pointed out how the bar puts on holiday dinners free
of charge.

<snip>

Sorenson says a Winn-Dixie representative approached her about
18 months ago about selling her license. It's a 5-COP license
allowing her to operate a bar and adjacent package store.

"Then they called again about a week and a half ago and
asked ... 'if you changed your mind.' I said, 'No.' Tuesday, I
came back from out of town and had a registered lettered from
lawyers from Jacksonville," she said.

Sorenson gave the Winn-Dixie letter to her attorneys and says
she has no idea what, if any, future the bar has.

"I'm going to see if there are other options available in
town to move. I hate to just end; it puts a lot of people out
of work," she said. "The Monkey at this location is
done, no doubt. I cannot afford to fight corporate
America."

<snip>


Sorenson said she has roughly 12 employees, including musician
Freddie Bye. He's been performing nights at the Monkey
full-time for around 23 years, Sorenson said.

Many other famous musicians have performed at the late-night
bar, including Greg Allman, Robyn Robins of Bob Seger's Silver
Bullet Band, Clarence Clemons of Bruce Springsteen's E Street
Band and Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys.

http://www.keysnet.com/2010/04/24/212839/last-call-for-landmark-florida.html


Another instance of corporateamerica running rough shod over
the little guy. They want her liquor license and she will not
sell it to them. A protest is scheduled for next Sunday. It
will snow in the Keys that day with cut up Winn-Dixie cards. 


edit: Did not mean to mislead. Locally, we refer to it as
Monkey or Monk. I added "Brass" to correct
misunderstanding.