As a former Gator, I remember when former University of Florida guard Shannon Snell — who recently became the franchise owner of the Sonny’s BBQ (Note-Snell took over for previous franchisees and New Tampa residents Jim and Cristina Hoff, who ran the local Sonny’s since it opened in 1998) on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in Wesley Chapel — was a first-team All-American back in 2003.
What I didn’t know was that Snell lived in Tampa Palms, but attended Hillsborough High instead of Wharton (where he was zoned to attend), and he was a three-year starter for the Terriers and a USA Today High School All-American.
But, Snell told me that he injured his shoulder during his junior season at Florida and somehow went undrafted by the NFL because he never had the shoulder repaired and couldn’t pass a physical. “It just kept getting worse,” he said. “But, I just wanted to rehab it and not have surgery.”
Between 2004-06, he had brief stints with the Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys, but told me, “I loved football, but I knew I didn’t have the passion to play that some guys did. My dad said that when you find your passion in work, it’s more fun, more like a hobby.”
So, when he was still living in Gainesville, Snell says he, “started at the bottom with Sonny’s. But, it had everything I wanted — a chance to move up, with a corporate structure.”
He adds that today, all Sonny’s franchisees have to also become barbecue pitmasters.
“Every location has a real person who really knows how to do barbecue,” he says. “And, since every pitmaster does barbecue a little different, you’re allowed to have your individuality, but within our corporate standards. We go to Florida BBQ Association competitions and even have corporate competitions, so we’re always learning how to do barbecue better.”
Today, Sonny’s has almost 100 locations throughout the Southeastern U.S., owned by CEO Jamie Yarmuth, and Snell says that even though Yarmuth is young himself, he has been “a mentor to me. After I was the GM of a Gainesville location for ten years, he came to me and said, ‘Wesley Chapel is coming available and we’d like you to become the new franchisee.’”
So, after a couple of months with Sonny’s “back home,” Snell held a North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbon-cutting (top photo) on Oct. 29, that Yarmuth and other Sonny’s execs also attended.
Snell likes to show off the seasonal menu, with items that aren’t always available — like the maple BBQ turkey club sandwich (left) and the maple BBQ pork burnt ends (above right), which were my favorites of the seasonal items. There’s also a pulled pork stack on “corncakes” (cornbread “waffles”), sweet potato fries, pulled pork mac & cheese and seasonal wings tossed in maple or golden BBQ sauce.
My favorite thing at Sonny’s, since BBQ sauce doesn’t always agree with me, are the grilled steakburgers (like the candied bacon burger below right) and the new loaded tots (topped with crispy onion straws, queso & drizzled with BBQ sauce, top left). We added some pulled pork because the tots just didn’t seem messy enough (just kidding — they were definitely messy!).
Every attendee at the ribbon cutting also received a free “Pork Big Deal” with any other entrée purchase. It included a big pulled pork sandwich, a side and a drink.
And of course, Sonny’s — “Pitmasters since ‘68” — also still has “Signature BBQ” like St. Louis-style and baby back pork ribs, beef brisket and more. We believe Snell is going to do great at his Wesley Chapel location!
Sonny’s BBQ (5324 BBD Blvd.) is open every day for lunch & dinner (11 a.m.-9 p.m.). For info, call (813) 994-8989 or visit SonnysBBQ.com. — GN