Australian couple Lea and Andina Foster, owners of popular South Carolina pub Hemingway's Bistro, have been through plenty of US hurricanes.
They are not too concerned about Hurricane Florence despite its massive size, 193 km/h winds, potential four metres of storm surge and 38cm of rainfall.
"We don't close," a defiant Lea told AAP on Wednesday ahead of Florence's arrival.
"We always stay open during a hurricane."
Lea, aged 75, and Andina, 78, have been together for 58 years.
The former Sydneysiders have been living in the US for 50 years.
Hemingway's Bistro is located on Beaufort Port Royal Island, one of South Carolina's coastal Sea Islands, and despite its close proximity to water the couple is renowned for keeping their pub open no matter how bad the hurricane.
That includes Irma last year when thirsty locals waded through floodwater from the overflowing nearby river to get to the pub and then stood in inches of water for a beer and wine.
"Even if the power goes out and there's not much water in the place we put candles and lights in here and we're still open," Lea said.
The Aussie women have owned Hemingway's for 20 years.
"Greed," Lea laughed when asked why they moved to the US.
The first stop was Las Vegas and the couple has become beloved members of the Beaufort community.
Florence is expected to make landfall north of Beaufort so the town and the Australians' bar should be spared the most severe conditions.
"It's not going to be bad," Lea said.
"I went through (1989's) Hurricane Hugo in a sailboat on Wando River in Charleston and I figure this one, nah, it's not going to be that bad."
That's good for the thirsty locals.
If they brave the floodwater and hurricane winds they will find Lea and Andina perched on the bar sipping a beverage or two.
