Levoie's Salads bids a fond farewell

For nearly four decades, the quaint, nostalgic Levoie’s Salads has sat tucked away in the shopping strip adjacent to the Ringling Shopping Center. As its loyal customers knew, and first timers were often surprised to learn, the unassuming lunch spot was home to decades of Sarasota clowning history and memorabilia.

Levoie Hipps, a former Ringling Brothers clown and member of the inaugural clown college class, opened the restaurant in 1975 with his high-school sweetheart, Melva. Hipps’ history and personality added a certain charm that made the restaurant a favorite among local diners.

Now, after 38 years of business, Levoie and Melva Hipps have decided to close the restaurant, effective Friday, Oct. 25.

“It’s just time to move on,” says Levoie Hipps, citing age and economy as reasons for the close. “But, we both have plenty of volunteering to keep us busy.”

The couple has already packed up much of the restaurant décor, but its walls are still filled with various circus memorabilia — photos, show bills, paintings and letters from customers. It seems as if nearly everything in the eatery has a story behind it, and both the ambience and menu have remained largely unchanged, which Hipps believes is the reason it’s remained a local favorite for so long.

The couple says that over the years, they’ve most enjoyed sharing their history with curious customers and forming relationships with their long list of regulars.

“We’re going to miss the people most,” says Melva Hipps. “We’ve seen some of these people for 25 or 30 years. We’ve watched their kids grow up. It’s a little sad to know we’re not going to see them as often anymore, but we’ve made some great friends.”