A local staple is back.
Ukulele Brand’s, the long-standing, lakeside restaurant and bar at 4805 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., reopened on April 18, after a nearly three-month closure.
The restaurant, which has been serving loyal patrons for 25 years, welcomed back crowds and live music while returning back to full service and its regular hours.
The popular dining spot sustained extensive damages on the night of Jan. 25, when an SUV and food truck plowed into an exterior wall, leaving a large hole, knocking into kitchen equipment and essentially forcing the business to shut down.
The incident required the restaurant to turn off the power, which resulted in food spoiling. It also needed to shutter its doors, while repairs were made.
“How no one died — I don’t know. No clue,” Ukuleke’s manager Jennifer Fischer told The Laker/Lutz News in February. “Our dishwasher flew 10 to 15 feet into my kitchen area, where there were staff members — it was horrible. When I watched the video, my heart was in my throat, and I don’t know how it wasn’t worse.”
Fischer said it was around 8 p.m., when the accident occurred. At the time, the dining room was filled with patrons and staff was busy in the kitchen.
Repairs took three months.
Now, it’s hard to see that it ever suffered damage.
The kitchen is fully restored. There’s no evidence of the hole in the exterior wall, and that wall has been repainted its teal color. The restaurant’s signature mural remains.
During the closure, the community demonstrated an outpouring of support during a Feb. 18 support-the-staff fundraiser organized by local businesses and the Rotary Club of Land O’ Lakes.
The more than $20,000 raised went to help the temporarily unemployed 42 employees of Ukulele Brand’s.
“It’s amazing that (the locals and regulars) are looking out for us, that Ukulele’s means something to them,” said MacKenzie Dadroga, a long-time bartender and server told The Laker/Lutz News during that February fundraiser. “We’re still here and people are still supporting us, because it’s not about the place — it’s about the people. They care about us.”
Ukulele Brand’s
Where: 4805 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes
When: Open Tuesday thru Sunday from 11 a.m until 11 p.m.
Details: Casual “Old Florida” lakeside full-service restaurant and bar, with both indoor and outdoor seating and live music year-round.
Info: Visit UkuleleBrands.com or the restaurant’s Facebook page.
Published April 26, 2023
