Going Back To Square 1. words and pictures by Anna Cooke
IT BEGAN IN 1964. NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, home of the University of Oklahoma. That’s where Bill Shumate opened his first restaurant, a burger joint called Across the Street. Why? Well, it was across the street from the University of Oklahoma, and one thing college students know for sure is where to get the best burg- ers and fries in town. Years later, Shumate longed to
go back to his restaurant roots: burgers, as sacred and all-American as football. Over the years, though, Shumate noticed how burgers had become fast, cheap and unhealthy. He wanted to bring back the burg- ers he created at Across the Street. So, he partnered with his longtime part- ner, restaurateur Joanie Corneil, and opened a gourmet burger restaurant in Tampa, featuring fresh ingredients, top-quality proteins, just like the good old days in Oklahoma. Going back to the basics, they named their new restaurant, appropriately, Square 1
Burgers.The burgers on the menu are anything but basic. As the menu says, there is a little awesome for everyone – including vegetarians, and dogs. Joanie’s own dog, Jingo, inspired
in Naples, Italy spent working for NATO. Jingo came into Joanie’s life
when her older Golden Retriever, Peaches, became lethargic. The younger Jingo was so bossy that he brought new life to Peaches. Jingo, who is 12 years old now, is going strong. He loves to wade in the pool and enjoys skateboarding. Well, the skateboarding thing? He is a pro at sitting on the board, while someone pulls it. Such is life for Jingo. Pleasantly apparent at both
Square 1 Burgers and Bella’s is the warmth and friendliness from all of the employees. When we visited Square 1 Burgers, everyone came up to Joanie to welcome and hug her. It was sincere and the feeling was mutual. Jingo is quite the charmer
too. The little dog has a big person- ality and cordially greeted everyone he met with a polite sniff, wag and a smile.
Joanie Corneil and Jingo. Joanie has worked hard to
her to create a very reasonably- priced menu just for dogs, using the same fresh quality ingredients that go into the main menu entrées. The dog-friendly covered patio is equipped with fans for warmer weather and heaters for cooler months. Every Monday, between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., Square 1 Burgers celebrates dogs with their Yappy Hour Mondays. Dogs receive a free meal with the purchase of any two entrees from the main menu during Yappy Hour. In creating Square 1 Burgers, Joanie applied the same formula
for success that she used at her South Tampa restaurant, Bella’s Italian Café –– from the recipes to the decor and design. “We call it a swanky saloon decor,” she told us when we visited with her earlier this year at Square 1 Burgers on Henderson in Tampa. Bella’s, by the way, is also dog-friendly. A South Tampa tradition
for meet-ups and family gatherings, the restaurant remains Joanie’s first love. She was inspired to open the restaurant after her time spent
102 THE NEW BARKER
create places where people enjoy visiting, dining and imbibing good wine and cocktails. In 2016, she released her first cookbook, Bella’s. It is a beautiful 224-page coffee table-style book co-authored by Chris Sherman. It features more than 75 classic Italian recipes crafted by Corneil herself, since opening her South Tampa restau- rant in 1986. Dog lovers who enjoy a
good burger (and the best darn fries we’ve ever tasted) are frequenting Square 1 Burgers in droves. It’ll take some time to get through their
menu of delicious burger creations and accompaniments. As Waylon Jennings once said, it’s time we get back to the basics of love. And that goes for burgers, fries and dynamite milkshakes.
U
Square1Burgers.com Square 1 Burgers in Brandon, Fort Myers, Lakeland, Sarasota, The Villages and Tampa. Bella’s Italian Cafe, 1413 South Howard Avenue, Tampa 813.254.3355 -
BellasItalianCafe.com
www.TheNewBarker.com
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