Lunch with Ernest

Through thin, thick, she loves Brandon

As a child, Becky Jordan vividly recalls riding her bike to the only grocery store in town, an old IGA next to Willie's Fish Camp on Front Street.

Much has changed about Brandon since then, but the passion the 49-year-old has for Brandon remains the same.

Over breakfast at the Brunchery, we talked about her term as Brandon's honorary mayor, her career as a real estate agent for Keller Williams, and how she once thought about buying the Brunchery from owner Kevyn Farley.

Pull up a chair and join us.

ERNEST: What was it like being the mayor of Brandon?

BECKY: Being mayor of Brandon, you get to do fun things. You go to ribbon cuttings, you write proclamations, you go to schools and talk about what being a good citizen means.

Clearly, the campaign was a lot of work. What was your motivation?

I've lived here all my life, and the very first mayor of Brandon I call Uncle Nat (Storms), because he and my father were in the University of Florida together. I remember that and it was something I always wanted to do for charities in Brandon. The end result is that a lot of people benefit from all the work.

What has led you to live in Brandon all your life?

I was born here. My parents were born here. My family is here. I can take you to cemeteries around here and show you my great-great-grandparents.

How many generations?

Five. My father's family was in the Panhandle before Florida was a state. One of my great-great-great grandmothers was born at Fort Brooke in 1854. Moore's Lake in Dover was named for my great-great-grandfather. My mother's family is in Seffner and Dover and my father's family is generally in the Lithia area.

Are you happy with the way Brandon has grown?

Yes. I mean, I can tell you where all the old stuff was. But when we go on vacation, it's: This is a nice town, but, no, wouldn't want to live here. My husband says, If you won the lottery, where would you live? I say, stay here. I might have a beach place, but I would stay in Brandon.

What do you love so much about it?

It's changed, but it's got a lot of nice people. It has a lot of things to offer without being a big city: wonderful hospitals, excellent doctors, a lot of civic opportunities, civic-minded people. I was talking to a couple the other day and telling them about the Brandon Outreach Clinic and ECHO and the Brandon Care Pregnancy Center, and they were impressed we had three organizations that are solely community-based and don't get outside funds. We have the Boys & Girls Club, the YMCA, the American Cancer Society and some others that have national ties, but we have three local charities that people in Brandon support. Brandon is a giving community.

Is there anything you would change about Brandon?

Yes, Highway 60. The other thing I wish is, I wish we were incorporated.

There seems to be some varying opinions on that.

Well, sometimes I do and sometimes I don't because I worry we might lose some of our small-town flavor. We're overlooked. We pay more than our share of our taxes for an unincorporated area of Hillsborough County, but we don't get the services in return for what we pay in taxes.

After working for different state social service programs and home health care administration, you became a licensed Realtor. Have you found it to your liking?

Yes, because I get to sell Brandon. I get to sell where I live and sell people on Brandon. Realtors in my office say, We've got the mayor here, ask her why Brandon is where you want to live.

So you've had three different careers, and you almost had a fourth - owning this restaurant?

I've known Kevyn (Farley) 18 or 19 years. I knew her when she was working in her mother's restaurant, the Brunchery on South MacDill in Tampa. When my husband and I were dating, we would go in and have breakfast on the weekend and I said I've always wanted to do something like this. We talked about it and we were looking for a place in Brandon to do something like this and I opened up the paper one Saturday morning and it said the Brunchery is coming to Brandon. I said oh, well. And then maybe 12 years ago, Kevyn thought she wanted to sell the restaurant and we were talking to her about it, but she changed her mind and I'm glad she did.

You're glad?

It's something I've always wanted to do because I love to cook, but it's very time consuming. It owns you.

You turn 50 in September and you're going to celebrate with some other baby boomers who are turning 50 and raise money for charity. You know some people wouldn't celebrate turning 50.

For some reason, 34 was very hard because 35 was that downside to 40. When I turned 40, I ran away. I had to celebrate 40 out of state. We were gone almost two weeks so that the birthday fell in the middle. I thought if I ran away, it didn't count. But consider the alternative. Turning 50 is going to be fun. It's all in your mind.

So what lies ahead for you?

I will never retire. I love real estate and I'll do that until I can't do it anymore. I've always worked. I stayed home for two years and my niece stayed with me for a couple of weeks. She said, For someone who doesn't work, you're the busiest person I've ever seen. So I'll always work, maybe just not as much.

DESSERT: A postscript from Ernest

- Ernest Hooper also writes a column for the Tampa & State section of the St. Petersburg Times. Lunch With Ernest is edited for brevity and clarity. To suggest lunch partners, call Ernest at 226-3406 or e-mail hooper@sptimes.com

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