By Marie Gilmore
As Lee Roy Selmon’s celebrates its newest location in Brandon, it is already setting the bar for finding a home in the community. The family friendly restaurant opened in early September and kicked off its community service with a charitable Grand Opening night with a sold out tasting event benefiting A Kid’s Place. In addition, the restaurant opened on Sunday, September 9, the one year anniversary of the passing of its namesake, Lee Roy Selmon.
And, if that wasn’t enough, two local athletic heroes have been immortalized on the memory wall showcasing murals of local athletes. Two local heroes, including Olympic Medalist Maritza Correia and Brandon Wrestling Legend Russ Cozart. Family, friends and fans of the athletes were on hand for the event.
“I never expected anything like this,” said Cozart, honored to have been asked. “They just called me out of the blue and asked if I would consider being a part of the restaurant.”
The Brandon restaurant features several unique features, including dining in the patio, lounge and bar areas in addition to the main restaurant seating section. State of the art sports viewing is available on more than 30 high definition television screens located throughout the restaurant. It’s the perfect environment to gather with family and friends to enjoy great food and great sports with prime viewing both inside and outside. Including the bar and lounge area, the restaurant can accommodate more than 200 guests.
Lee Roy Selmon’s has partnered with the Brandon charity, which is the most visible community initiative of Kids Charity of Tampa Bay, to raise funds for their state-of-the-art residential care facility. A Kid’s Place provides a safe, stable and loving environment for abused, abandoned and neglected children from birth to 17 years of age. For more information, visit www.akidsplace tb.org.
The mural, which prominently features Selmon, also includes former Tampa Bay Lightning captain and Stanley Cup winner Dave Andreychuk; former Tampa Bay Buccaneer and Super Bowl champion, nine-time All-Pro linebacker Derrick Brooks; former Buccaneer head coach and Super Bowl-winning head coach with the Indianapolis Colts, Tony Dungy; and Tampa native and World Series champion Fred McGriff. The mural also recognizes two Brandon legends: Brandon High School wrestling coach Russ Cozart and Olympic swimming medalist Maritza Correia.
“We are thrilled to open our newest restaurant in Brandon and look forward to becoming a part of this wonderful community,” said Sam Tancredi, President of Lee Roy Selmon’s. “We know that Brandon is family-driven and our restaurants believe in that mantra as well. We have wanted to expand to Brandon for some time and believe it is a perfect match for us and this area.”
Lee Roy Selmon’s currently has seven other locations in the Tampa, St. Petersburg, Palm Harbor, Bradenton, Sarasota and Ft. Myers communities.
The restaurant is a tribute to the late Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Tampa Bay Buccaneer legend Lee Roy Selmon – the athlete, the family man and the community leader.
Lee Roy Selmon’s is located at 11310 Causeway Blvd. in Brandon. For more information, call 654-5454 or visit www.leeroyselmons.com.
