Restaurants' garlands, caricatures, familiar faces

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By ERNEST HOOPER

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 5, 2001

Like most Sunday mornings, people will begin to gather at the Brunchery in Brandon this morning for omelets, crepes, pancakes, waffles and arguably the best grits in Hillsborough County.

The first things they will notice are the chickens. Owner Kevyn Farley estimates more than 800 chicken-shaped figurines, pictures and wall-hangings decorate the comfortable restaurant, which is tucked away in a shopping center on the corner of Kings and Oakfield just south of State Road 60.

Back in 1988, when Kevyn and her brother, Michael Russo, started the Brunchery, the chickens -- culled from flea markets and garage sales -- proved to be an inexpensive means of decorating for a family duo so short on cash they were "eating at McDonald's every night." This wasn't sibling rivalry, this was sibling survival.

What people probably won't notice are the Christmas decorations. In two corners of the restaurant, a strand of red garland is wrapped around light poles hanging from the ceiling.

No, it's not a Christmas in July promotion, and it's not about someone mistakenly leaving the holiday reminders up all year. Not now, anyway.

Two years after the restaurant opened, Michael had decorated the restaurant for his favorite holiday. That December, he became ill after being diagnosed with AIDS. He took down the decorations but left the single strand of garland above Bench 6.

"The following December when he died, the decoration was still up," Farley explained. "I said we're not taking that one down. Every time we're in the dining room, we'll think of him. He'll always be at the Brunchery."

Four years later, a second strand was put up in the opposite corner for the mother of Vickie Hunsaker, who died of cancer. Hunsaker is one of the original servers, whose role has evolved into partner.

"It's over the table I sit at every morning and drink coffee and read the paper," Hunsaker said. "That's my spot, where I am with her."

For both women, the challenge of carrying on was not easy, but their drive was fueled by the endearing relationships they have developed with customers over the years.

This is a place where they know folks by name, remember people's favorites and occasionally cut pancakes up into little pieces for young toddlers. Naturally, business is booming as the spirit of their loved ones looks over them.

Sometimes, every day can be like Christmas.

If you give them, he will come. "Them" are the Tampa Chamber's annual small-business awards. He is none other than James Earl Jones, the longtime actor who lists Field of Dreams among his credits. Jones, now serving as a sponsor for Verizon, will be on hand for the awards ceremony on Sept. 13, which is being sponsored by the telephone company.

I wonder whether Jones can explain why Verizon's stiff monthly charges include $12 for a residential line, $7.95 for caller ID and $4 for call waiting?

The Palm is up and running and now we know all of the 200 local celebrities whose likenesses earned a spot on the wall as a caricature. Believe me, I am humble and even sheepish when telling you my face somehow earned a spot. It is an honor to share a place next to fellow Times columnist Mary Evertz.

However, I was really hoping to be a little closer to Susan Lucci. I've been watching All My Children since Erica Kane was wreaking havoc on Jeff and Tara, and Donna Beck was a call girl on Locust Street.

In fact, a mutual admiration of All My Children is one of the first things that drew my wife and I closer together some 17 years ago. We're hoping we can have dinner with Lucci at the Palm some day -- provided she pays.

Here's another pearl of wisdom culled from the world of e-mails: Any married man should forget his mistakes; there's no use in two people remembering the same thing.

- Ernest Hooper can be reached at (813) 226-3406 or Hooper@sptimes.com. His column appears on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

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