Sloppy Joe's

Sloppy Joe's is a historic American bar and entertainment venue at the intersection of Greene Street and Duval Street in Key West, Florida. The establishment is identified with the city's tourist culture, live-bar atmosphere, Hemingway associations, and a retail operation connected with its premises. Although the Sloppy Joe's name is also used for a type of ground-beef sandwich, the subject of this entry is the Key West bar and its associated business, not the food category. The present bar occupies a building that dates to 1917, while an adjoining building used for the kitchen and retail store dates to 1892. The business has operated at its current Greene and Duval Street location since 1937. Its historical identity is particularly linked to writer Ernest Hemingway, who was a regular patron during the 1930s. That association has become a central part of the venue's public image and visitor experience, helping position Sloppy Joe's as both a bar and a literary-tourism landmark. In 1978, Sid Snelgrove and Jim Mayer purchased Sloppy Joe's. The business has remained under the ownership of their two families since that transaction, according to the available reference material. This long period of family ownership distinguishes the venue from a conventional national hospitality chain and anchors the brand in Key West's local commercial history. The brand's most prominent recurring cultural program is Hemingway Days, an annual July celebration of Hemingway's life. The event began in 1980 after manager Michael Walton proposed the idea. Its best-known feature is the Hemingway Look-Alike Contest, which draws participants styled after the author and has become a recognizable part of Key West's tourism calendar. Sloppy Joe's serves as the event's principal venue and symbolic home. Sloppy Joe's was added to the United States National Register of Historic Places on November 1, 2006. The designation formalized the site's importance as a historic commercial and cultural location. In addition to the flagship Key West site, the reference material identifies locations in Treasure Island and Daytona Beach, Florida. These additional venues extend the name beyond the original bar while retaining its Florida hospitality identity. The brand's core offer is centered on bar service, food, entertainment, tourism, and merchandise rather than packaged consumer goods. Its positioning combines a casual drinking establishment with a heritage attraction built around Key West history and the Hemingway connection. Publicly available material in the supplied references does not establish a separate corporate parent, a public listing, detailed financial results, or a complete current executive roster.

Sloppy Joe's is a historic bar in Key West, Florida, whose identity developed from the combination of an established commercial building, a long-running bar operation, and a strong literary association. The principal structure used by the bar was built in 1917. A neighboring building, which houses the kitchen and retail store associated with the business, dates from 1892. These buildings place the venue within the older commercial fabric of Key West rather than in a purpose-built modern hospitality complex. The bar has occupied its current position at the corner of Greene and Duval Street since 1937. During the 1930s, Ernest Hemingway became a regular patron. His association with the venue later became one of the defining elements of Sloppy Joe's historical narrative and public positioning. The Hemingway connection supports the bar's role not only as a place for food and drinks but also as a destination for visitors interested in Key West's literary and cultural history. Ownership changed on September 8, 1978, when Sid Snelgrove and Jim Mayer purchased the business. Available reference material states that the two families have continued to own Sloppy Joe's since then. The family ownership structure has provided continuity across the later development of the brand and distinguishes it from a publicly traded hospitality company. In 1980, manager Michael Walton proposed creating a recurring event devoted to Hemingway. The resulting Hemingway Days celebration takes place annually in July and includes a Hemingway Look-Alike Contest. The event has become a signature feature of the Sloppy Joe's identity and a recurring tourism program associated with the bar. It connects the commercial venue with a broader celebration of Hemingway's life and with Key West's literary-tourism economy. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 1, 2006. This recognition reinforced Sloppy Joe's status as a historic landmark as well as an operating bar. The business has also expanded its physical presence beyond Key West, with locations identified in Treasure Island and Daytona Beach, Florida. Today, the Sloppy Joe's brand is best understood as a hospitality and cultural-heritage business. Its activities encompass bar service, food, entertainment, a retail store, and branded public events. The available reference material does not provide verified information about revenue, staffing, a formal corporate parent, or current named executives. It also does not document a detailed product menu or a complete chronology of the additional Florida locations.

• 2006

  National Register of Historic Places listing

  [1]Sloppy Joe'sen.wikipedia.org

  Sloppy Joe's is added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 1.

• 1980

  Hemingway Days is established

  [1]Sloppy Joe'sen.wikipedia.org

  Manager Michael Walton develops the annual Hemingway celebration, including the Hemingway Look-Alike Contest.

• 1978

  Sid Snelgrove and Jim Mayer purchase the business

  [1]Sloppy Joe'sen.wikipedia.org

  The business is purchased by Sid Snelgrove and Jim Mayer on September 8; their families subsequently continue as owners.

• 1937

  Sloppy Joe's begins operating at its current Key West location

  [1]Sloppy Joe'sen.wikipedia.org

  The bar is established at the corner of Greene and Duval Street in Key West, where the flagship venue remains located.

• 1917

  Main bar building is constructed

  [1]Sloppy Joe'sen.wikipedia.org

  The principal structure occupied by the historic bar is built.

• 1892

  Adjoining kitchen and retail building is constructed

  [1]Sloppy Joe'sen.wikipedia.org

  The building later used for Sloppy Joe's kitchen and retail store is constructed.

A historic, casual Key West bar and entertainment brand built around local heritage, tourism, the Ernest Hemingway connection, and recurring cultural events.

• Hospitality

  Bar beverages

  Beverage service is a core part of the Sloppy Joe's bar concept. The supplied reference material identifies the business as a historic American bar but does not provide a verified current drink menu or specific signature beverage list.

• Food service

  Prepared food

  The Sloppy Joe's premises include a kitchen serving the venue's food operation. Available reference material confirms the kitchen and its location in the adjoining building, but does not document a complete menu or identify specific dishes.

• Retail

  Branded merchandise

  A retail store operates in the building adjoining the main bar. It supports the visitor-oriented brand through merchandise associated with Sloppy Joe's and its Key West identity, although the supplied sources do not specify the current product assortment.

• Entertainment

  Live entertainment

  Entertainment is part of the venue's bar experience and broader hospitality proposition. The supplied references characterize Sloppy Joe's as an operating bar and tourist destination but do not provide a verified schedule or roster of performers.

• 1980Hemingway Days

  Key West, Florida · United States

  An annual July celebration of Ernest Hemingway's life created at Sloppy Joe's after manager Michael Walton proposed the event. The program includes a Hemingway Look-Alike Contest and links the bar's commercial identity with literary heritage and Key West tourism.

  Outcome. The event became an annual signature program and remains closely associated with Sloppy Joe's.

  Source

1. 1Sloppy Joe'sen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Official Sloppy Joe's websitesloppyjoes.com