KiKiKi III Sold
The Oldest Gay bar in Tampa was sold this past week. We understand the building was purchased at auction by the engineering company next door. The KiKiKi #1 was downtown where the bus station is today. The KIKI#2 was just a few blocks away in the downtown area. The KiKiKi #3 was at 1908 W Kennedy Blvd for over the past 30 years. Many of us jokingly called the KIKIKI… The Frat House.
The one thing you could say about the KiKiKi is that they were “Consistent.” Our very first time at the KiKiKi 2 was in 1980. We had just moved to Tampa from Minneapolis to go to USF. Minneapolis was at least 10 years ahead of Tampa in those days. It was Gasparilla and we went to our 1st Gay Bar in Tampa to watch the parade.
The parade was winding it’s way thru Downtown Tampa. Inside the dark wood planked walled bar there were 2 guys shooting up drugs in the men’s room. Mark said “That’s it we are moving back to Minneapolis today!!!” 34 years later and we are still in Tampa, I guess Carrie won that one.
Over the following years we made many good friends at the KiKiKi. The owner was Cesar R. and the manager Stevie. Cesar’s brother was the famous Rene who owned the Kennedy Blvd. Gay Show Bar, “Rene’s” on Kennedy Blvd. There are many fun stories about the KiKiKi.
Everybody always said… “The KiKiKi has the Wildest floor show in Tampa Bay and doesn’t even have a floor show! If you sat in there long enough you would see everybody walk thru the doors of the KiKiKi!!!”