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…