Lynn Love had been selling cars at 4914 S. MacDill Ave. for 23 years when
his business began to falter. So in 2008, he decided to do something
about it. He bought a catering wagon. Today it's a restaurant: Love's
Artifacts Bar and Grille.
"I went down to
Miami and bought a 25-foot wagon," recalls Love. "I set it in the
parking lot and I started selling food—Italian sausage, ribs, chicken,
vegetables. The ribs really worked well. They were like a $5,000 Toyota.
I was selling them cheap and doing great volume. So I saw that the food
thing would work."
Love says he owes a lot to
the community. The back of his menu lists the many people, from
contractors to customers, to whom he is thankful for helping make his
vision a reality.
"People want it to work.
They speak highly of it. We probably turned away 30 people because we
just didn't have room for them. So it's working. We have a great group
of people coming in. They are what's turned this place into a great
place to hang out.
He also sees that his
business model and the area are ripe for a future franchise.
"I've read they do a lot of demographics testing and modeling
here.
Outback,
Hooter's
and
GrillSmith,
they've all test marketed here and I think it's because the
demographics are so close to everywhere else."
True
to its name, Artifact's décor is an eclectic collection of antiques and
memorabilia. Leather armchairs join wooden ones at tables in the bar.
Old album covers and singles line the walls. The menu consists of ribs,
chicken, pork, shrimp and fish, along with featured specials such as
pasta and rib eye steak. Love recommends the fried chicken. "It's the
number one thing on the menu."
Writer:
Missy Kavanaugh
Source: Lynn Love, Love's Artifacts Bar and Grille
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