Most people in Plant City know Robert Jordan and his family as the Smokin’ Aces BBQ team, which operates two restaurants within the area and is a Keel and Curley Winery staple.
But the Jordans want to be known for more than just barbecue, and they’re determined to get there by mixing old and new.
On May 18, Smokin’ Aces agreed to lease Chancy’s Catfish Shack from Charlie Grimes and plan to turn the location into something Plant City doesn’t have: a traditional surf n’ turf spot.
The new restaurant, tentatively called Smokin’ Aces Steak, Seafood and Barbecue, aims to be one of the only family-owned restaurants along Interstate 4, from Tampa to Orlando. It also plans to have plenty of reasons for anyone to stop in and dine.
“This is going to be a huge transformation, and I think that everybody in Plant City is going to see it,” Robert Jordan said. “It’s going to be one of the best restaurants in Plant City, if not the best — that’s our goal.”
Jordan said that the restaurant will feature premium steaks, fresh fish and some of the barbecue items that the Smokin’ Aces brand is known for. In a nod to the building’s previous occupants, the restaurant will also feature some of Chancy’s most popular menu items, including fried catfish and fried green tomatoes, among other things.
The plan is for the exterior of the building to look the same or similar to how it is now, keeping the “roadhouse feel,” Jordan said. But everything else will change out of necessity. New tables, chairs, lighting and ceilings will spruce up the inside, and the back yard will be cleared out, screened in and made comfortable for up to 40 people. Some landscaping will be done in front to make the building visible from the road.
Jordan, who has operated the Smokin’ Aces restaurants for the past few years, said that the restaurant couldn’t have been possible without Keel and Curley Winery, as his expansion to the winery grounds helped his business thrive when it needed to.
Now, he hopes that opening up Plant City’s first locally-owned steakhouse will be the next local favorite for years to come and put Smokin’ Aces on the map.
“We want this place to stay family-owned, locally owned and operated by people in this community,” Jordan said. “We want to be highly involved in the community. … There’s a lot of tradition in this place, and we’ve got a lot to live up to. It’s a big risk, but I’m willing to do it.”
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@planticityobserver.com.