Owner of Wally's Liquor on Mills Ave says bar will reopen under new owners

Orlando, Fla. — The iconic dive bar Wally's Liquors on North Mills Avenue in Orlando could be making a comeback before the end of the year, according to the owner.

Linda Updike, widow of namesake owner Wally Updike says the Orlando bar has been sold to a new group whose name has not yet been released.

The business, which has been in downtown since 1954 has been known for its colorful crowd and interior decorating, as well as its unbeatable princes on booze and long hours of operation. Folks say people like lawyer John Morgan would shout "For the People", and then buy a round of beers for everyone as he talks with his fellow patrons.

Wally's closed back in August after the owner’s business partner and operator Martin Snellgrove became ill and then died a month later.

Linda says the old staff would be hired back under the new owners and that not much would change except for the sign which reads "Same Family Since 1954."

In addition, some renovations to the building will be needed, including structural repairs which she describes as years of "Band-Aid surgery" to places like the roof and the electrical systems.