Beef ‘O’ Brady’s | 7 HOW IT ALL BEGAN Long before these brands captured the flavors savored by consumers, they were concepts compelled to life through the efforts and imaginations of two independent entrepreneurs. Beef ‘O’ Brady’s was the brainchild of the late Jim Mellody, a Pennsylvania-native who moved to Southwest Florida in 1971 and experimented with several restaurant concepts in the years that followed. By 1985, he elected to establish a place that played-up a sports-infused Irish pub theme and Beef ‘O’ Brady’s was born. The “Brady” derived from the maiden name of Mellody’s mother. No doubt, Mellody was thinking of his mother by setting firm rules that would allow for the restaurant to resonate with families; mandates to keep it clean (literally and figuratively) with no pool tables nor serving of hard liquor to potentially sully the setting. In Brandon, Florida, the restaurant proved so popular with local appetites and sports aficionados alike, Mellody was soon opening other locations. By 1998, Mellody sold most of his interests in the company to Tampa-based FSC, and within two years, James Walker
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