Hungry Harry’s Bar-B-Que

was established on November 5th, 1985 in Land O’ Lakes, Florida. One man’s search for great Bar-B-Que and life’s curveballs led Harry M. Wright to open Hungry Harry’s and here’s the story of how it all started in his own words.

I think I was born to find good Bar-B-Que. Being born in Central Florida, I was accustomed to good Bar-B-Que from the age of 5. Peeple’s BBQ in Auburndale, Brown’s BBQ in Winterhaven, Jimbo’s BBQ in Lakeland, Slims BBQ in Arcadia… the list goes on. When I moved to the Tampa Bay area in 1983, I immediately started my search for a great BBQ pork sandwich with a great sauce.

In 1984 I was working at the highest volume tire store in Tampa (and probably the world) and in 1985 I was promoted to manager. I was searching for a great BBQ pork sandwich to feed my staff. I went to the place where everyone told me was the “best BBQ place in Tampa”. What I received there was a fatty, very gristly, sandwich with a “ho-hum” BBQ sauce. I was not happy at all and went back to tell the owner. He told me that I didn’t know anything about Bar-B-Que and to “get out”!

This was not my only unhappy occurrence that day. My employer told me when I got back to the tire shop that he was not going to pay me the $10,000+ bonus that he owed me. What could I do? I only saw one choice. I gave my 2 weeks notice and told my wife that I was going to open a BBQ restaurant.

She replied with, “Are you crazy!?!? We don’t have any money and you’ve never worked in a restaurant!” I said, “I can at least do as good as the so called ‘best’ and I think I can do even better!”

26 days later, “Hungry Harry’s Famous Bar-B-Que” opened in beautiful downtown Land O’ Lakes! The rest, as they say, is history!”