At 4 p.m. the day before a bottle release, a line sometimes forms outside Liquor Depot. Collectors set up chairs, scroll through their phones and wait for their chance to buy a single barrel bourbon that sells out in less than an hour.
For owner Trey Lawson, the crowd is a reminder that his family’s liquor business has become more than retail. It has become a Tampa tradition built on connection, consistency and community.
Built across generations
Lawson grew up in the stores his father, Frank, opened 35 years ago. Frank started with one small shop in 1990 and grew it into a neighborhood chain known for its yellow Volkswagen vans with smiley faces parked out front. The stores were reliable and recognizable.
By 2018, Trey was living in North Carolina and working in real estate when he got a call that changed everything.
“My dad said he was selling the stores,” Lawson says. “If I ever wanted to take over, this was my chance.”
The timing felt right. Trey wanted to return to Tampa. He wanted to be near family, near his sports teams and near the city where he grew up. Taking over the business meant continuing a story his father had spent decades building.
Father and son worked side by side for two years. One brought instinct. The other brought innovation.
“My dad gave me the room to make mistakes,” Lawson says. “If it works, great. If it doesn’t, you learn.”
Rebranding a Tampa staple
When Lawson stepped into the business, the company had four stores under four different names. He rebranded everything under Liquor Depot, giving all locations a shared identity.
From there, he expanded to six stores across Tampa, adding locations on Waters Avenue and Hillsborough Avenue. Revenue rose about 25%.
But Lawson says the fundamental shift came from how he connected with customers.
“Social media has been massive,” he says. “I run all of our accounts myself. I talk to customers every day. I want people to feel like they’re part of something.”
The approach worked. Fans drive across Tampa Bay and sometimes camp overnight for exclusive Liquor Depot barrel picks.
“You need daily posts, new content, videos and photos,” Lawson says. “It can’t be cookie-cutter. It has to be real.”
His work earned statewide recognition this year when he was named an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year nominee.
Joy Bar and the $20 buzz
Next to Liquor Depot’s Armenia Avenue store was VIP Liquors and Lounge, an aging neighborhood bar his family had owned for years. Most owners would have closed it or folded it into the liquor store.
Lawson took a risk.
He turned it into Joy Bar, Tampa’s only year-round Christmas-themed dive bar. Twinkle lights. Ornaments. Décor from wall to wall. Locals started donating decorations from their own homes, turning the space into a community project.
“It’s cool that people can point to something that used to be in their house,” Lawson says.
Joy Bar kept its low prices, late hours and neighborhood feel. High-end spirits like Blanton’s and Eagle Rare go for a fraction of standard bar prices.
“I wanted to bring back the $20 buzz,” Lawson says. “You shouldn’t need $80 to have a good time.”
The bar was named Best Dive Bar in Tampa Bay two years in a row and has become a go-to spot for birthday parties, comedy nights and karaoke.
Barrels that give back
In 2021, Lawson launched a charity barrel program with former Buccaneer Mike Alstott. Each year, they select a limited-edition whiskey barrel and donate 100% of the proceeds from bottle sales to the Mike Alstott Family Foundation.
This fall’s 12-year Penelope Estate Collection Rye raised $20,000 in a single day. The program has generated more than $50,000 for the foundation. Additional special releases have raised another $10,000 for USF’s NIL program.
“Single barrels are unique,” Lawson says. “Once they’re gone, they’re gone. We wanted to use that excitement to give back.”
Building team loyalty
Running six stores and two bars with more than 40 employees comes with challenges. Lawson says his team is the reason the business runs smoothly.
“A lot of my staff have been with me for years,” he says. “You’ve got to take care of the people who take care of you.”
For Lawson, success is not about size or speed. It is about belonging.
“I want people to feel like this is their place,” he says. “That’s what matters.”
The next pour
Lawson expects Liquor Depot to keep growing, but he is clear about what he wants to preserve.
“I always want to be the neighborhood store,” he says. “Great selection. Great prices. Friendly faces.”
He also shares his passion through his YouTube show, Behind the Bottle, which documents barrel selections, distillery trips and day-to-day moments running the business.
As he looks to the future, Lawson thinks of the yellow vans his father once parked outside the stores.
“My dad gave me the freedom to try,” he says. “That is still how I think about everything we do.”
Trey Lawson didn’t just return to Tampa to run a business. He came home to build a legacy rooted in family, community and connection.