University of Missouri inspires newest Lakewood Ranch eatery

LAKEWOOD RANCH — Ever since moving to Florida, Jason Seelbach has dreamed of opening his own restaurant.

Originally from Louisville, Ky., Seelbach moved to the area about six years ago, taking a job at MacAllisters Grill & Tavern, on Lakewood Ranch Main Street, as a bartender.

But even then, Seelbach knew he wanted to find for himself an opportunity like one he passed up back home — one to own his own bar and grill.

Little did he know his regular customer, John Brocke, had a similar dream.

Now, about a year after the two sat down to share their vision for the future and brainstorm restaurant concepts, Seelbach, with his fiancée, Amy Curnick, and Brocke and Brocke’s wife, Tara, are fulfilling their mutual dream as they open Truman’s Tap & Grill. The new bar and eatery is located in the Lakewood Walk shopping plaza at the northwest intersection of Lakewood Ranch Boulevard and State Road 70.

“I had my eye on this spot for (about) three years,” said Seelbach, as he looked around the restaurant space. “After meeting (with John), I said, Let’s do it.’

“I know the area; I know the people,” he said. “I think I know what people are looking for.”
Seelbach, the restaurant’s managing partner, said he hopes to make Truman’s the “neighborhood” bar and grill.

“It’s cliché to say we want to be like a ‘Cheers’ place, but we do,” he said. “We want to invest in people. I enjoy that aspect.”

The entire space has been reconfigured and renovated for that cause. Truman’s bar area is set apart toward the back of the restaurant to provide a more inviting atmosphere when guests arrive and also so families can enjoy a quieter dining atmosphere.

“The only thing we kept were the bathrooms and the hood system,” Seelbach said, motioning to the restaurant’s brick walls and other décor. “We wanted something that feels like it’s been around for 50 years. Not just a bar, but a place where everybody knows your name.”

The restaurant, which is slated to open Feb. 2, will offer a variety of menu options, including its signature Truman burger, a salmon BLT and a variety of salads. Sandwiches and entrées are priced from about $8 to $12, and the restaurant will offer chalkboard specials on more seasonal offerings, such as seafood, Seelbach said.

Additionally, owners hope in the near future to convert four parking spaces on the side of the restaurant into an outdoor patio dining area, Seelbach said.

For more information, visit Truman’s Tap & Grill’s Facebook page online.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].

TIES TO THE SHOW-ME STATE
Business partners John and Tara Brocke moved to the East County three years ago from Bloomfield, Ill., although the couple originally is from Missouri.

Their ties to the University of Missouri, where John’s brother played football, among other connections, served as the inspiration behind their restaurant’s new name.

“Truman the Tiger was our mascot,” Tara Brocke said.

At Truman’s, Tara Brocke will handle bookkeeping. Her husband, John, will continue working fulltime at United Technologies.

Truman’s Tap & Grill
ADDRESS: 11161 S.R. 70 E., Suite 100
PHONE: 755-1800
HOURS (tentative): 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday
WEB: www.trumanstap.com