Iconic Florida restaurant closes after nearly 100 years
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- Опубликовано: 6 авг 2022
- Tony’s restaurant, a staple in Ybor City for 93 years, is closing its doors in September. www.fox13news.com/news/iconic...
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By far one of the hardest businesses to be in...extremely long hours with tight profit margins and constant staff turnover. Good luck to the family and their catering business! Please always support locally owned businesses.
Nope, 30,30,30... simple
30 hours, 30 employees, 30 menu items, easy!
High staff turnover means you are providing a stressful job with low pay not worth it...or hire/train people poorly.
Only fastfood restaurants will be left
@@aaaaaaaaaa97 yup. Sometimes the job isn't a fit for the person but when you see the restaurant with faces that stay the same year in and out, it's a good chance that they support their workers.
I been going there since the 1980's GREAT FAMILY. GREAT PLACE. God Bless them all.and Thank you for all the years>!!
Larry was very canny in not stating the actual reason why he's closing the restaurant though...seems an odd decision when it looks so daily popular & busy...???
@@_Ben4810
I agree with your statement and I will let my family know in Tampa. Ybor City area has change over the years both good and bad. I like you, have my own questions and theories on why, but I will keep them to myself.
P.S. Please support local business whenever possible. Even if you have to drive farther or spend a little bit more. Like life, once it's over you can't go back!
Ron
Portland Oregon
@@_Ben4810 Even tho Florida has Ron DeSantis right now, don’t forget these facts; Florida it’s actually a swing-state, like North Carolina, sunbirds and retirees aren’t necessarily conservative, especially the Northeastern, California and PNW type of pro BLM/Antifa/DSA/DNC imperialist, genocidal, projective brownshirts and places like Tampa, Orlando and the Miami core have become mini-San Franciscos/NYs of sorts, like they have done with the likes of Austin in Texas.
They have been trying to replicate in Florida and other paces the same, till the whole place ends up looking like a fifth world, dystopian 💩🕳 like Detroit, Chicago, East. St Louis, Camden, Baltimore, Minneapolis, Atlanta, San Francisco, Gary, Portland, New York, Seattle, South Africa, Haiti, Zimbabwe… etc.
@@roncar1761 ok
Bob
@@_Ben4810 probably just tired of getting up every morning for the past 50+ years and is just ready to relax a bit and slow down.
I worked at my dad's pharmacy when I was a kid sweeping sidewalks up until I graduated from college. Great times. Having a beer a beer with my dad after a long day, I’ll never forget. He had to close the store years later and went to work for a large drug store. It’s sad to see these family owned places close, but it is a lot of work. Good luck to all of them.
Your story resonated with my own family history. My dad owned a big pharmacy in South. Calif for 33 yrs, which had a photo dept, card section, gift & cosmetics besides pharmacy items. I worked at the cash register starting at nine years old, and did the gift wrapping at Xmas time. In the high school years, I had to work on Saturdays (paid). Everyone knew my Dad. There were only 2 pharmacies in the suburb. There was a small town atmosphere outside of L.A. My Dad took care of 2 generations, and people were heart-broken when he left in 1991. He did not go out with money since he couldn't sell his remaining inventory. My grandfather (his father) dies the same month he closed !!! This was the time when the Walgreens started to pop-up; and there were significant changes in demographics (ethnic). My Dad still needed to work so eh worked for Costco for several years, and never complained. I felt sorry for him, and I wondered if he felt humiliated. My Dad was humble, and a Renaissance man, where he knew 7 languages, art collector, intellectual, artistic and nurturing. My sister was going to carry-on the tradition of becoming a pharmacist, but inorganic chemistry was too much. These are the memories we keep in our hearts. Thanks for sharing. I hope you don't mind I got very verbose.
It’s democrats and Biden’s goal to destroy all small businesses. Don’t believe me? Go look at World Economic Forum.
They quoted us “you will own nothing and be happy”
Were you having a beer a beer while writing your comment?
A beer a beer
@Karen A 9 year old working the cash register? I don’t think so.
My family and specially me are going to miss u! TONY🏆🥇🙏🇮🇹
When people become friends with owners and come back for decades it definitely means very good service. What a nice feller that owner is.
I am sure there is a big burnout factor in the restaurant business especially for these family owned places where it all depends on a few people day in day out. I wish this man and his family good luck!
Ur wish falls upon the devils lap
so true so many hours
If you see it that way sell drugs shop lift do crime and this is the reason why in the USA you dont have this types of restaurants in the whte commutinies and only large chain unhealthy restaurants because you want large profit and exploitation in latin communities people will always prefer home made style of food and service.
@@RM360CR I just said that it's probably a great deal of work to run a restaurant by yourself. I'm not commenting on white vs latin communities. Now you assume I only want chain restaurants that treat workers badly? WTF?
@@RuleofFive you tell him Ruleo you win this round
The end of an era. What a great story!
I am a corporate turn around artist . I can not tell you how many business follow this exact pattern. Grandfather starts it. Son increases the business and Grand son closes it. This pattern is amazing. I have seen it over and over again.
@Michael Did they go public?
Unfortunately you see the same pattern in the history of crumbled empires.
People now are spoiled and ungrateful! They don’t know how good they have it!
Happened here in Boerne Texas. Flagstop restaurant. Best fried chicken ever.
@George Jones The man has been getting up at 5 am for decades and working 12 hours a day. And you have the nerve to call him a clown?
That is a lot of years of kindness and participation with a community.
I used to own a coffee shop and know this grind all too well. You worked hard for so long to maintain a business, through the high highs and the terrible lows. You made so many friends along the way. And your body has told you to rest for decades. And at some point, you need the body to be stronger than the mind.
Congratulations on your next step. Wish I lived in Tampa so I could try your food before you go.
Why not sell instead of closing?
@@TTT-gu4kg Its a family run business
@@currincook6422 That doesn't answer the question though...
@@TTT-gu4kg Because they recognize that it would suck after the transition. And they probably have to for some reason that is not disclosed in the story.
@@jasong428 hence the question....
But the answer "because it's a family owned business" doesn't answer the question...
Food is fresh made. Not canned
So sad alot of restaurants closing in Tampa and too many chain restaurants moving in to Tampa from other states
thats the plan. Nothing happens by accident.....
Even tho Florida has DeSantis right now, don’t forget these facts; Florida it’s actually a swing-state, like North Carolina, sunbirds and retirees aren’t necessarily conservative, especially the Northeastern, California and PNW type of pro BLM/Antifa/DSA/DNC imperialist, genocidal, projective brownshirts and places like Tampa, Orlando and the Miami core have become mini-San Franciscos/NYs of sorts, like they have done with the likes of Austin in Texas.
They have been trying to replicate in Florida and other paces the same, till the whole place ends up looking like a fifth world, dystopian 💩🕳 like Detroit, Chicago, East. St Louis, Camden, Baltimore, Minneapolis, Atlanta, San Francisco, Gary, Portland, New York, Seattle, South Africa, Haiti, Zimbabwe… etc.
I bet you hit a McDonalds
Because Tampa is dead. It’s a ghetto dump now that’s become packed with refugees who fled from the vid.
It's places like these that make the memories.
That's a great loss for Yibor City.
Hopefully he will be able to sell it to someone that will continue with the restaurants legacy. That happened to one of my favorite childhood spots here in California back in the 90s and luckily the woman that bought it only changed the decor a bit but kept almost everything the same and is still running it to this day. I'm wishing the same for this spot. If I could go to Florida before September I would try it 🤤❤️
What is the name of the place in California? I should check it out, if it’s still up and running.
@@tnvol2011 it's called Baseline Burgers it's in a crappy part of San Bernardino but it's a diner setting and the food is delicious and it's family ran. She has her family work there too. The owner is a very sweet lady and I was happy to see them survive the pandemic.
who cares about California... keep it on your side
Hes still going to do catering which he says is most of the business. The younger people cant afford to eat in restaurants on what the boomers pay them.
@@boristheamerican2938 but the kids sure can eat a McDonalds... kids (thats how they act) are stupid and do not support locally
*OMG!*
This is horrible! I went there for lunch the very first time I went to Ybor back in the 70s. It was one of the few places open for food back then! SO sad.
Ybor was the place I sent many hours in while going to college in Tampa during the early '90's. Eat at Tony's and the Columbia, then have a street rolled stogie for desert.
Thanks for the memories.
This was a well edited and thoughtfully produced segment
Sounds like an amazing place
*WOW...the pandemic has really brought the worst out in people! My god the negative, rude, judgmental and just plain ignorant comments about this man's decision to close his own business is astonishing!* ......what a bunch of angry, bitter, toxic people! (shakes head)
What do you mean pandemic?? People was this way long before gov attacked its own people!!!!!!
👍👍👍
That's just entitled leftists who think that their convenience is more important than personal decisions over private property.
They should be wearing gloves when touching folks' plates.
@Lungho Just because you don't like what someone has to say doesn't mean you can just assault them. Of course most of them wouldn't say it to someone's face so you wouldn't have to hit them. I say Brock Lesnar is a juice head online but i wouldn't say it to his face. Even thou its the truth.
This just breaks my heart.
I'm no where close and I'm 😢 sad. Where are the grands and kids? Change is inevitable but I do hope you get help if that is what you want or need
So sad but time to enjoy the Fruita of your labor! God Bless🙏
"Family" operated restaurants like this are irreplaceable and an important part of our culture. I grew up with wonderful diners run by Greek families. The corporate owned restaurants that are now prevalent everywhere will never fill the void left by the personal touch of a "family" business. Most of them are horrible! So sad to see one Tony's close.
Also, the corporate restaurants want you in and out as quickly as possible. Heaven forbid you should linger and converse over a cup of coffee! I too am saddened by the loss of what one author calls "third" places (the other 2 being home and work) where you can interact with others and feel a sense of community.
@@SarahRenz59 With the corp. chains, you are a simply a "bottom-line number", in a family restaurant, they know your name.
I guess you never heard of Tarpon Springs.. you know the place north of Tampa
I have to hold back a smirk when I hear people say "no one pays a living wage anymore" as if this "living wage" was anything more than the short-lived invention of big industrial companies. Anyone who worked in a family business knows you were usually working for free, or for distributions when need, but mostly for the promise of being the owner one day. If you needed money for something, your family came up with the money, but there was no regular living wage.
It all goes back to the car imho. The car allowed people to move, moving split up families, the splitting of families killed the family business.
That looks like a wonderful place to good eat!!! Good bless the owners and workers
Although sad this happens every day in California
Cuz Commiefornia sucks!
@@iii___iii a business closes every hour in California lol
Thx man for the food service for the community working crazy hours.
Hate to see them closing. Its like family moving away. Great food. Thanks TONY'S
Things just became so much tougher with the covid chain of supply breakdown . I don't blame him for wanting out. I couldn't wait to retire from my job of 36yrs. I had enough too!. Good luck bud.
No way...they make the best grouper over anyone! I miss them..and the University Restaurant that was on Fowler Ave.
Your food was superb 💞
Good for him. God bless
To new beginnings! Cheers! Sad to see an icon close. Peace!
There's a family owned restaurant near my home. I overheard the owner sharing his business details with a fellow customer. He wasn't trying to be secret or anything. He said that the dining business was basically break even. He said the real money came from the catering. I don't know why this would be the case. My belief is that the dining part of the restaurant is paying the fixed costs for the kitchen and power bill and so forth. The catering uses that same kitchen and power usage so it would have less business expenses thus be more profitable.
Boom or bust
MY sisters ran a restaurant for years. They close about five years ago. They told me the biggest issue is a generational problem. The majority of young people today do not eat in Mom and Pop restaurants. Also if your customer base turns into mostly retirees you have trouble making a profit. My sisters said they got tired of not making minimum wage for their time.
Makes sense. there's a guy in Victoria, BC that has a foodsafe permitted little breakfast nook. since it's licensed for food prep. he prepares Irish stew, flash frozen, and you can buy it in some local groceries. I doubt the little rest. makes any money, but you need the permit for food prep.
@@JDseller1 They dont eat there because those places charge $20 for a burger. Same reason young people arent buying diamonds. The last generation destroyed the economy so badly they cannot afford to purchase anything expensive. Cheapest always wins.
@@baddriversofthenorcalarea500 Yes some places charge high prices for simple food. In my area there are small Mom & Pop places that you can get a nice big burger, fries and a fountain drink for $10. No one younger than 40 in the place. Three miles away MD is busy with no one over 30 in the place. The last time I eat at MD the cost was over $10 for a meal. The local one is much better food.
I love this restaurant! The best in town
I'm sorry 😟
not anymore
They had one hell of a run, it's saddening that they have to go but I'm sure they brought much joy to their community.
Thank those who voted democrat
@@trumpisgod2535
The hell does a story about a restaurant have to do with politics. If you're going to troll people,at least be creative about it 😴
@@user-xs5bl9dy6d inflation increases cost of goods as well as makes people not willing and able to eat out as much. You clearly don’t understand causation maybe get a degree or any kind of education really.
We need Mr. Beast to help! I wrote a letter to him. Hopefully he replies! He can buy the restaurant and give it back to Tony!
Good story wonderfully told ❤️
I wish there were restaurants like that where I live in Ohio. All we have are chain restaurants 😢
Wait there are buildings in ohio!!?!?!? 💀😱
Loved those place!!
Best wishes to this shop owner. He's probably doing the right thing. Restaurant business is extremely competitive.
Thats a hell of a service. Preciate it for serving tampa for all these years
That food looks amazing!
Good for you Larry❤️
Wow, my family came from Sicily too and settled in Ybor City. Though those members have all passed, it sounds like it’s likely they ate there. Best wishes to the family.
Why would you close a booming business? I'm so confused. Why not Keep all your workers and switch owners? But close it?
@Alien Guru What an ignorant judgmental thing to say! Wow.
Because it’s very difficult to find consistent employees now, probably. Plus, the guy’s tired . That happens in the real world.
@Alien Guru You sound young and in need of a basic economics course.
We are definitely in a recession. If the restaurant was making good money he could find a manager to run the place and keep it open. Obviously, it was just squeaking by financially for it to close.
Restaurants have always been tight.
The place reminds me of Nelson's Buffeteria in Tulsa, OK (the original 4th and Boston one). Hopefully if they do decide to re-open this place, it isn't as disastrous as when Nelson's tried to re-invent itself and re-open.
Slowly crain food places are all we have left and i refuse to eat at them i try to cook myself most of the time. Amazing to see this place open for that long! I hope another mom & pop place pops up and is open for 100 years!
As a retired history prof i must say dat this is a great example of da old saying " nuttin lastes forever "
yea
😢😞
Someone needs to take over this Iconic and historic restaurant!!!!
Seriously, this needs to be done. New owner needs to be taught the processes, procedures and recipes to continue on this tradition.
007
Not many out there who are willing to work 7 day weeks.....
@@thommysides4616 I hear ya, and you are probably right, but with proper planning, and delegation, there could be a division of labor to make it work. Seems like the place is a real cash cow. Too bad someone will not take the place over.
007
have you been to the area?
New owners need to update the look of the place without a doubt. Looks like an Elks Lodge.
You should adopt kids... a REAL ones and no lazy ones... who cares about FAMILY BUSINESS.
Hopefully I can make It down there to Tampa from Kelowna to eat here before it closes.
Good luck to you sir and god bless.
I’m 74, so many great restaurants are gone. It’s a whole different vibe. Not worth going out.
Wonderful story
Times of change in Tampa used to be a Italian strong Hold
Place is so old they got Harriet Tubman workin the buffet.
Knowing how to buy in bulk at a farmer's market can put was amazingly good
stuff on the steam table at a very good price.
I need to try it 😋
went there 30 years ago awesome place great ass food !!!!
its sucks that these type of real restaurants are closing... not a fan of modern dining at all.
It was really a great place to eat.
keep their business it makes a good and the community it's unfortunately they'll be close pretty soon it's so sad a lot of companies say that long forever I wish the best luck for them I hope they can keep it open
Wow. I hate to say it but this is normal. Usually when kids or grandkids take over a business, it closes. However, I will say to him these are trying times. Especially for small businesses.
Tampa Jays favorite restaurant
Well,done, Chef!
I wonder if this is the place that my 84 year old dad keeps talking about. Dad grew up in Ybor City and he always said that their is a place there that had the best Cuban sandwiches and he's never had one better than the ones they used to get in Ybor City. I wonder if this man's grandfather sold my dad those Cuban sandwiches. I'll show this video to dad because if this is the place we're driving from Jacksonville to get dad a Cuban sandwich!
I don't think so. I don't think Cuban sandwiches are on the menu there. But for what is considered by many to be the best Cubano in the world, check out The Columbia Restaurant, also in Ybor City, which is the oldest restaurant in Florida and the largest Spanish restaurant in the world.
@@seikibrian8641 1:20
@@crafty1929 Hmmm. I went to their Web site and looked at the menus, and Cubanos weren't listed.
@George Jones Things change.
I like that there's no effort to say the name of the place.
No loss.
Unfortunately this seems to be the future of this country. My generation would rather order from overpriced chain restaurants through Uber Eats and DoorDash than support family owned businesses like this. I feel bad for future generations.
Chain restaurants are both but fast food on a plate
Capitalism is a bitch, isn’t it?
That food looked like something you'd get from a TV dinner. Notice how boomers were the only ones eating there?
@@alwillk late stage capitalism is, middle capitalism is pretty cool, but we're definitely not in the middle anymore.
Well-deserved break. Now you can sleep later than 5am.
Keep it going like your family Don’t shut it down
I LOVE THIS
Wish him luck there's nothing more better than a long time family business was going on strong sooo long ..
Just saw this while enjoying dinner at kaluz plantation
Good luck 👍🏼 💓
One story out of 10 million in the US.
Nice place. Sorry to see it go.
homecooked meal, love it 😝
THANKS DESANTIS!!
It won’t stop here, they aren’t done with us.
Congratulations on your long-run family business and your semi-retirement.
These days there are a lot of independent restaurants that serve fresh everything every day. To keep up with the competition and stay prosperous restaurants need to keep up with the times. They must refresh and/or remodel, update menus, add liquor licenses or even move to better and bigger locations. This is just the way it is in a growing and evolving society.
Bravo
A lot of small businesses will be shutting down.
I’m sure we all have that one place, so sad. Rip Pep n cheese pizza 🥺😭
100 years.
In my country it was yesterday, we have restaurants that are hundreds of years of age.
Nobody cares about your country. Just america.
That's sad.
Real food,people.Nice
The best god bless you
Yeah, those vegetables seem real fresh...
I wish Larry all the luck in the world and especially the ability to sleep past 5 AM. Your clock is set Larry, it is in your mind bro. Very few retired people ever learn to properly sleep in and you've been doing this since childhood. Enjoy your 4:30 AM coffee with the rest of us old farts.
That's a shame they have to close that restaurant down you will never see family style restaurants again
What is the reason?
Food Trucks are the future! I wish him all the best!!
Stoppppppp! Call Gordon Ramsey! 📞
What is the name of the restaurant
Tony's
Why closing?
Now this guy is a businessman
Food looked pretty gross, I don’t blame the guy for closing, serving mush to basically an old folks home. Not to mention old people are typically the worst, rudest customers. Good for him 👍
have you met the younger generations? Old customers can be cranky but I know how to keep them happy, usually just listen to them. The middle aged ones are a crapshoot and under 30 they don't even look at you and have the attention span of a fruit fly but the expectations of a hungry lion at the zoo.
I'm going to miss going here on Sundays for their all you can eat Meth buffet.
The owner should have just utilized inflation to raise the prices of his food, then set up a GoFundMe so that customers could help keep the restaurant open, in addition to securing a stimulus loan from the government and then the owner could have kept the business open longer.
All good things must come to an end