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In the middle of a 2014 blizzard that would leave 10 inches of snow outside their front door in Portage, Wisconsin, Jimmy Rhode asked Karisa Rhode if she wanted to move to Florida.
It was an off-the-cuff question, but it was serious.
They were tired of the weather, and Culver's, with whom the Rhodes owned franchises, had just opened Florida as a market. There was no hesitation in Karisa's answer: Yes.
The only question remaining was where in Florida to call home.
After one visit to Lakewood Ranch, that question, too, was answered. They moved to the area in February 2015.
"There was a tour you could take that showed you all the fun stuff," Karisa Rhode said. "We got in a van and the guide said, 'We're going to develop here and here.' I was like, 'Oh man, let's go.' We fell in love with it on that tour."
The Rhode family wanted a place to stay warm, Jimmy Rhode said, and they were excited about the area's future development plans, but they also appreciated that Lakewood Ranch was not a "concrete jungle." Seeing cows and farmland on the tour helped. The family went on a few other visits, but no place felt more like home than Lakewood Ranch, so that's where they went.
"I've never shoveled snow again," Jimmy Rhode said.
The family initially moved into Greenbrook before moving to a bigger house in Sapphire Point. The family had expanded as their daughter, Britta Rhode, had gained a sister in Ellerie Rhode. Not once since the family's move has it thought about going somewhere else, Karisa Rhode said.
The Rhodes are ingrained in both the personal and business communities here and the family now owns several Culver's locations in Florida, including locations on State Road 64 East and State Road 70. They have no plans to abandon those locations, they said, but even if they did, the rest of what Lakewood Ranch has to offer is hard to beat, starting with its culture.
"Wisconsin is so laid back, and there's no emphasis on new things happening," Jimmy Rhode said. "It's old-school and set in its ways. You're going to eat cheese and drink beer and you're not going to exercise. And here, even though it's not a 'go, go, go' lifestyle like New York or anything, people want to be more active. There is always something to do and somewhere to go to spend time with your family."
The Rhodes like to go to the Farmer's Market at Lakewood Ranch in Waterside on Saturday mornings to sample its food offerings. They take their daughters to PopStroke to test the family's putting skills — and have more than a few laughs. They take in Movie in the Park events in Waterside for the family-friendly entertainment and attend Bayside Community Church services each Sunday.
The Rhodes said they are glad to live in a place where kids are allowed to be kids. This is especially nice at mealtime as places like Ford's Garage in University Town Center serve good food while having an atmosphere that lets kids enjoy themselves. Jimmy Rhode said his children have polar opposite personalities as Britta is quiet, while Ellerie is rambunctious. She'll stack a tower of pillows, then leap off the kitchen counter into them, Jimmy Rhode said.
And yes, like many Florida families with young children, the Rhodes will hit the road to visit Disney World and Universal Studios Florida in Orlando. The family goes approximately once a month, Karisa Rhode said, something that is only possible because of Lakewood Ranch's great location.
"Our kids are spoiled," Karisa Rhode said with a laugh.
The Rhodes are also thankful there are more places being built for parents. Jimmy and Karisa said they enjoy hiring a babysitter and going to Agave Bandido in Waterside for a drink at its upstairs speakeasy. The first time they went, they said, they were stunned to see the crowd — in a good way.
"We joked, 'Oh my gosh, it's a room filled with (people like) us,' Karisa Rhode said. "It's cool. It's a vibe."
The best restaurant in the area is a hotly debated topic in the Rhode house, they said, but they are big fans of Michael John's French-American Steakhouse in Bradenton. It's where Jimmy and Karisa go to celebrate their anniversary. Coming from Jimmy, who considers grilled food a passion, it is a high compliment.
Despite owning several Culver's locations, Jimmy still likes to hop on the restaurant's grill himself when he can. He's done it since he first got a job at a Wisconsin Culver's at 16 years old. Now, it's a way for him to blow off steam, he said.
It is a passion that follows him home from work, too. Karisa said Jimmy always has something on the smoker or the grill, to the point where houseguests now expect it when they visit. Jimmy cures his own bacon, he said, and is especially fond of brisket and prime rib. The next thing he wants to tackle? Learning how to sous vide his meat. Or perhaps getting a dry ager.
"At home, I get to experiment, and I enjoy that," Jimmy Rhode said.
The family is proud of their restaurants. They have watched their newest locations be built from scratch, they said, and have photos of themselves and their children at every stage of construction. Britta and Ellerie even helped their parents put out the chairs and other tasks. It became a family thing to do, Karisa Rhode said.
The Rhodes want to use their business to show their love for the community, donating food to local schools for parties and partnering with with them for fundraisers.
"We want to give back to everyone who comes in and helps support our family," Jimmy Rhode said.
The Rhodes like the area so much, they have convinced almost everyone in their lives from Wisconsin to move to Lakewood Ranch themselves. Karisa's parents moved to Summerfield, while Jimmy's parents moved to Lakewood National Golf Club.Sisters, aunts and grandmothers are here, too. Once Jimmy and Karisa convinced everyone that Lakewood Ranch was an option, it became too good an option to turn down.
The thing about Lakewood Ranch that has impressed them the most? From their initial tour of the area and beyond, the developments that were promised have been delivered. The family said is proud to be part of such a fast-growing area, one where many memories have been made, and even more memories are on the way.
"It's cool to watch everything happen," Karisa said. "It's a nice life here."
