Brandon

Dairy revival

Restaurant owners - and hungry customers - anticipate reopening of eatery that was destroyed by a fire in November.

By SHANNON COLAVECCHIO-VAN SICKLER
© St. Petersburg Times
published January 31, 2003

BRANDON -- Outside Campbell's Dairyland, beyond the boarded-up windows and the charred kitchen, longstanding signs taunt passers-by who have gone nearly three months without Dairyland's Wowburgers and creamy milkshakes.

One banner boasts of Dairyland's sweet, spongy strawberry shortcake; another shows, in mouth-watering color detail, the many layers of the Turkey Supreme sandwich.

But the shortcakes, burgers and shakes have been missing since early November, when a fire gutted the kitchen and forced this gastronomic institution to shut down for the first time in two decades.

Now, Dairyland's owners are gearing up for their return, which they anticipate will come "way before summer."

With that timeline in mind, Jay Paules and his wife, Jill, who own Campbell's along with James and Leesa Lee, are looking for contractors to rebuild at 200 S Parsons Ave.

In the meantime, they're doing what they can themselves. Last week, they spent hours repainting the outdoor merry-go-round tables designed for their youngest customers.

They've set up a mobile home in the parking lot as a temporary office for themselves and whatever contractors they hire to rebuild the kitchen and the roof, and to replace the electrical and air conditioning systems.

The fire destroyed the kitchen and roof, and left water and smoke damage in the front seating area, Jill Paules said.

Fire rescue workers initially estimated the damage was about $250,000, but spokesman Ray Yeakley said that "crude estimate" account for destroyed equipment and lost business. Jill Paules said she and her fellow owners still are working with the insurance company to get a final damage estimate.

"We need to get this going," said general manager Jo Ann Fahlsing. "My 8-year-old's driving me nuts, saying he wants his chicken fingers! And we have customers losing weight while we're waiting to open. One guy told me he's already lost 10 pounds. 'My wife and I need a milkshake,' he said!"

Brandon families have been flocking to Campbell's -- known for its speedy service and large menu that features everything from the Twister ice cream treat to eggplant fries -- since it opened as Dairy Isle in the early 1980s.

Boyd Campbell, the eatery's namesake, retired a few years ago, leaving his daughters Jill and Leesa to run the place with their husbands.

Even all these weeks after the fire, Jay Paules gets letters from hungry customers, some of whom have been coming since they were in Little League. They promise they'll be back with their children as soon as Campbell's opens.

In response, the marquee sign says, "Thank you for your patience. It won't be long now."

Paules admits he can't say exactly when the grand reopening will happen, although Leesa Lee said she wants to serve burgers again by the end of March. They are still wading through insurance paperwork, and weighing construction bids against what likely will be a limited budget.

"If there was tons of money coming from our insurance policy, we'd do a lot to this place," Paules said. "But for now, we're just going to do the necessities to open up as soon as possible."

Paules hopes customers who also happen to be local contractors will show their love of Campbell's with a discount or volunteer help here and there.

Campbell's will offer all 20 former employees their jobs back, even though some already have taken other jobs, Lee said.

The Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce has promised to help Campbell's celebrate its return, with a ribbon-cutting party of some sort.

"We are so excited to see it coming back, so we really want to play a part," said Chamber President Tammy Bracewell. "I miss it myself. I drive by and think, 'Gosh, I could go for one of those fat-free milkshakes right about now.' And they're such nice people; they exemplify what a family business really is."