By Andy Warrener
The Laker/Lutz News Correspondent
For the last 12 years, Splash in Lutz has weathered the changing economic climate while continuing to serve up oceanic delicacies.
The local restaurant offers a unique dining experience for anyone looking to break from the monotonous, assembly-line corporate places, and has events and specials that cater to a multitude of people and palates.
Co-owners Tom Perkins and Chip Roehl have their roots in seafood dining and hospitality.
They both helped the Shells franchise grow in Tampa. Perkins was the director of operations for 15 years, while Roehl had a few positions, including vice president.
Perkins is a Leto High graduate who flipped hamburgers in his first job out of school.
Roehl grew up in the hospitality business and ventured into advertising. It’s what took Roehl to New York and then brought him back to Tampa again in 1982. Just three years later, Roehl started with Shells, and that’s where he met Perkins and the concept for Splash was born.
“There are myriad of landmines in this business,” Roehl said. “It’s always a battle.”
Roehl and Perkins wanted to carve out something different for themselves — something that didn’t hem them in the way a corporate place like Shells did.
“We wanted to create better, chef-driven food,” Roehl said. “You don’t have that flexibility with a corporate restaurant.”
Roehl was disappointed when a great idea for a dish would come out, and then they would “dumb down” the recipe to make is easier for a chef of lesser skill.
Enter chef Lenny Terlaje, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in New York.
Perkins and Roehl met Terlaje when they tried to expand into an Italian seafood restaurant they called Paesans. It didn’t work out, but the connection with Terlaje was cemented, and after four years he went to work at Splash.
The mother ship at Splash nearly got pulled under the waves, too.
“The first few months we were open, business was great,” Roehl said. “That was three months prior to 9/11.”
The restaurant industry, especially the fine dining one, took a huge hit. As Roehl put it, “people started cocooning.
“But we knew we had the right product, the right experience,” Roehl said.
So they hung on. Then the crash in the late 2000s served another blow.
“Before, people would go out to eat once a week; now they would go out once a month,” Roehl said. “We had to start looking at some promotions to bring people in.”
Roehl figured out that the most expensive thing in a restaurant was “an empty seat” and he and Perkins set about creating some options to bring diners into the restaurant.
Outside of the original menu, designed by Perkins and Roehl, Terlaje began coming up with his own daily or weekly specials.
Then the creativity with pricing set in.
“Whatever inspires the chef that week, we make changes as long as it is culinarily appropriate,” Roehl said.
The promotions extend beyond the food as well.
On weekends, a baby grand piano in the corner of the main dining room provides entertainment. On Thursdays, Splash has an open mic night on their outdoor patio.
“People come here three, four, five nights a week,” server Emily Spak said. “I’ve come here on a Saturday and had to wait to get a seat.”
The promotions and slight uptick in the economy have Splash back sailing on smooth waters, and the food is as top notch as it has ever been.
“The prices are pretty fair, especially for lunch,” said Land O’ Lakes resident Mary Ann Fullerton. “I had the lobster bisque and it was awesome.”
Fellow diner Dianne Dlouhy of Lutz was complimentary of the wait staff, citing their “nonstop” service.
Splash fancies itself on building regular clientele.
“We have customers come in that ask for specific servers,” hostess Rebecca Galloway said.
Impossible to miss are the caricatures done by Dan Smith.
Some lean toward portraits, but none are of celebrities or sports figures. They are all portraits of diners who frequent the restaurant.
The small business model is finally starting to help instead of hinder Splash.
“People’s appreciation of small business is on the rise,” Roehl said.
