LARGO — After more than two years of planning and a complex buildout that saw a former medical office space converted into a Prohibition era-style, golf-themed restaurant and bar, Bogey’s Tavern was scheduled to open in Suite 2B in the MJ Village Plaza at 300 E. Bay Drive on Aug. 25 following a pair of soft openings.
On Aug. 22, Bogey’s owners Mike D’Ottavio and Pam Dufour greeted guests that included Central Pinellas Chamber of Commerce President Tom Morrissette, Belleair Market, Cafe and Hideaway owners Julie Champion and Chris Scott, and Bluffs Business Association President Larry Bell, for a Saturday evening preview of what the longtime hospitality industry vets first solo venture looked, felt and tasted like.
Based on the early reviews, the owners have scored an ace with their new place.
“It’s great to see a new local restaurant bringing something unique to Largo, especially for golf enthusiasts,” said Bell, who in addition to his role heading the BBA is affiliated with the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce as well as several other local networking organizations.
Bell said he was appreciative of the invite from his good friend and well-known local bartender, Jenn Forsythe.
According to D’Ottavio and Dufour, the restaurant is the result of a wedding night promise to fulfill the hospitality industry vets’ longtime dream of opening their own place.
“We made a promise on our wedding night 20 years ago that we would open our own restaurant one day, and when we did, we were going to do it the way we wanted,” said D’Ottavio, a former aerospace industry exec who worked in bars for years while growing up in New York. “And Bogey’s is the result of that dream.”
Location, location, location
He said they knew the location — directly across from Largo Central Park on the burgeoning East Bay Drive corridor — was ideal for what the couple wanted to do with their concept, which D’Ottavio said came from a favorite place of theirs in New England, where Dufour is from.
“We knew the bones were here,” he said of the building, which features an octagonal outdoor patio and ample parking in the MJ Plaza lot. “They were broken bones! But they were here. And we knew it was the right place when we saw it.”
As Bell noted, Bogey’s is a unique concept for the area and has the relaxed and inviting feel of an old-time Northeast tavern.
The vibe and food
Bogey’s goes for a classic tavern feel, from the decor — dark woods and warm lighting, with seating for about 130 combined indoors, outdoors and in a private, 18-seat dining room — to the menu, which is dotted with New England staples like cod, haddock, clams and scallops, as well as steak, salmon, soups, salads and chops.
D’Ottavio said he came up with most of the dishes himself despite having no professional culinary training, basing them on his own tastes and years of sampling good food.
“I know what I like, and I like good food!” he said, citing the many fancy lunches and dinners he enjoyed during his corporate days as well as decades of cooking for his family.
“So, I spent years refining these dishes, from the cuts of meat to the dressings and the sauces. And then we found excellent providers and hired a top-notch chef to help execute our vision.”
Sports, especially golf, serve as a backdrop for the business, but Bogey’s is not just a sports bar. The bar section had two TVs on the night of the preview that were tuned to black-and-white movies and TV shows, in keeping with the tavern’s Prohibition-era theme.
“We will have football games on the TVs during the season,” D’Ottavio said, acknowledging it could be a tug of war for the remote between the New York native and his Massachusetts-born wife.
“I don’t know if it will be the Giants, the Patriots or the Jets!” he said with a laugh. “So, we’ll see how it goes!”
After putting their own blood, sweat and cash into what has proven to be a costly investment, D’Ottavio said he and Dufour understand that Bogey’s success rests squarely on their shoulders.
“We don’t have any investors. It’s all us,” he said, adding, “We made the decision to go big. And we definitely went big!
“And if we fail, we fail. But we hope to be a valuable part of the greater Largo community for a long time.”
Bogey’s Tavern is in Suite 2B in the MJ Village Plaza at 300 E. Bay Drive. Visit its website at bogeystavernlargo.com for more information.