MANATEE COUNTY, Fla — The Hi Way Bar & Grille in Bradenton is best described by its third-generation owner Alicia Lou Lou Dorics as a combination of many things. 

“The little po-dunk, 5-star, dive bar, Hi Way Bar that’s been here since 1961,” she said.

Inside, you get an almost immediate warm and welcoming feeling. A vibe Dorics says her grandparents Roger and Suzie Dorics created when they first opened it in 1961 and her parents Roger and Susie Dorics cultivated when they took over decades ago.

A lot has changed around this family business now that Dorics had taken over. It’s now in one of three locations the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office has installed gunfire detectors.

How they work is, the moment a gunshot is fired, the detector alerts law enforcement and begins recording any activity in its vicinity, including The Hi Way Bar & Grille directly across the street. 

“I kind of like it,” Dorics said. “We don’t have issues here, so I’m OK with it.”

Dorics already had surveillance cameras installed around her bar two years ago. She says there haven’t been any issues, but her loyal customers say they welcome every watchful eye and ear. 

“There’s a lot of activity lately around here,” said Valerie McMahon. “Everywhere actually, so I think it’s a good idea if they can find whoever’s doing it. That’s good.”

Dorics welcomes the gunfire detector too, protecting her business so she can spend more time cultivating a 62-year-old family dream.

“I just want to carry on the legacy and the dream,” she said, “and make my late grandparents proud and my momma and my daddy proud.”