It was heartbreaking.
After three years, of blood, sweat and tears, the owners of Uncle Mike’s Smokehouse Grill in Brandon lost their lease on the location.
And without warning.
Simone and Mike Tolley received a letter on Jan. 9, stating they had 10 days to “vacate the leased premises.” The letter came from Tampa attorney Jill K. Bell, of Hill Ward Henderson, who represents Cigar City Motors Inc., owner-operators of five Harley-Davidson of Tampa dealerships, including the one in Brandon. The Tolleys have leased the back restaurant of dealership for three years.
“Every time I walk into the building, I see all the hard work I put into it,” Simone Tolley said. “Twelve- to 16-hour days to market and promote to get people to the restaurant. It’s heartbreaking. We worked so hard to make it a landmark.”
Simone said there was no warning. She thought the same protocol would be followed as the past three years. In previous years, in about December, the landlord emailed the couple to come into the office and sign the lease. This year, Simone Tolley contacted Gary Bang through email and even his assistant via phone. But, she said she never got a response.
Along with the letter of notice, the Tolleys also received their returned January rent check. The Tolleys fell behind on rent last summer. But it was while they were opening their new Plant City location, and, at the same time, Simone Tolley was giving birth to her first child, Blake. They caught up on their owed expenses.
“They are in here until the end of the month, and we will look for a new biker-friendly, barbecue-type tenant,” said Gary Postle, training manager in charge of operations for the dealerships under the Harley-Davidson of Tampa umbrella.
He said Uncle Mike’s was the third tenant at that location. According to the Tampa Bay Times, Postle would not say whether the two parties tried to negotiate an extension.
“We did not renew their lease,” Postle said. “That’s all I can tell you right now.”
Uncle Mike’s Brandon was a place that attracted country fans and bikers alike. The Tolleys plan to continue that tradition at their Plant City location on the corner of State Road 39 and State Road 60.
“At this point, our main goal, our main focus is to grow this business and get people in here to have great food and great fun,” Simone Tolley said. “We’re really excited about putting all our efforts into this place.”
Uncle Mike’s Plant City will have all the same favorite events as their previous location. Simone Tolley, a former Tampa Bay Buccaneers cheerleader, will be teaching line dancing on Thursdays.
The restaurant also will host a variety of charity fundraisers, bike nights, car shows and cornhole tournaments. The pavilion in the back will be open for game nights.
“When we first opened, the food wasn’t the greatest, the service wasn’t the greatest, but we’re going to bring the standards of this place up to the standards of Brandon,” Simone Tolley said.
Simone Tolley was on maternity leave when the couple opened the Plant City location last year. Now back at work, both she and her husband plan to involve themselves heavily in the day-to-day operations at the Plant City location.
This isn’t the first time the couple has operated a restaurant at the compound off State Road 60. They were involved in Cowboys, the establishment that occupied the building previously.
“I’ve always loved everything about this building,” Simone Tolley said. “It was like my home. And I still love it to this day.”
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.