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Gene Holloway spent millions in 1979 to build Tampa’s Sea Wolf, the most fabulous and elegant restaurant of its time. The sprawling complex sat on 14 acres across from Busch Gardens. It seated 500 and was so successful that customers still had to wait hours to be seated. By the end of its first year, the Sea Wolf was one of the top 10-grossing restaurants in the nation.
Do you have any memories of visiting the restaurant? Do you remember its opulance and decor?
Send us your comments in the form below.
When going to college at Florida College in Temple Terrace,Fl. The Sea Wolf Restaurant was our favorite place. It was an elegant place with the most ingredible atmosphere and decor. The spectacular fish tanks, the art work and the food were all 5 star quality and very original. Every time someone visited me at college we made special plans to go to Sea Wolf. It was always the highlight of my family and friends visits. Sea Wolf is still one of my all time favoirite restaurants and always will be!
My family currently owns the former home of Gene Holloway in Lakeland. It is still available for $2.8 million. It is truly a magnificent, historic and unique home. It is perfect for someone who loves to entertain, and the house is entertainment all by itself! Please contact me directly as I am the realtor who represents this property which is listed with Keller Williams in Lakeland. Thank you.
hi Susan Wall - Holloway the last time i seen my grandpa he told to look u up and maybe i could meet you.daniel holloway is my dad and gene is my grandfather and randy is my uncle.you can always email me at hollowmen_69@hotmail.com
i have not talk to u in long time so im saying hi uncle randy holloway and to my grandfather gene holloway,and if my dad reads this hey dad daniel holloway.i wish i could have seen the sea wolf.i here alot of good things about it.
Mike:
Yes, the Columbia is in my top five,...too.
I used to take care of her plants also,...
... another fond memory,...
I’m so glad that she still exists,...
and I visit her every time I get to Tampa!
She,... however has a different flair,... beautiful, none the less!
I remeber the center circle of areca palms,... some of the largest, that I’ve ever seen!
Outside of the wild.
I was fortunate enough to take care of her plants too!
The tiles, the history, the plants, the employees,...
I been blessed to see Tampa in her finest.
... and I will always remeber her that way!
Stuck in New England, as of now,...
but,... I will work my way back to my beloved Tampa!
Someday.
Definitely agree with the last post. It was a jewel. I still love the feel of the Columbia Restaurant, and Bern’s Steakhouse is hard to beat, but there was something special about the Sea Wolf.
I knew it as: the Tobacco Co.
I have very few pix of the place, yet,.. my memory is as vivid as if it were,... yesterday!
The morning that I walked into that place,...
I knew this was going to be a magical, wonderful experience.
And,... it was!
I couldn’t believe that this was a restaurant, and that I was going to take care of their plants.
That was, and always will be,... my favorite restaurant, of all time.
... Bar none.
And,... I’ve even been to “Atlantis” in the Bahamas,...
... My second favorite place!
Tampa,... had a jewel, in that restaurant!
I hope some day to experience the likes of it again!
Say what you will…
... and I will never forget it!
My family & I ate at the Sea Wolf in 1981 during my childrens’ 1st trip to FL. Tho we were a group of six the prices were not prohibitive & I still remember the opulence.
This AM I found a menu from that visit & wondered if it could possibly still be open. I was quite surprised to see that it was one of the finest restaurants in the country at the time.
Yes Randall, He piloted the planes out at the Z hills DZ for many years.
Back in ‘79 my husband was in Tampa to pick up some concession equipment. He dined with friends at the Sea Wolf. Being in the food business, he has quite a collection of memorabilia. Today while going through a file drawer we found the menu (in perfect condition)from the Sea Wolf and a four-page “newspaper” type handout about Holloway running for president and the restaurant. It prompted us to Google them both. We have really enjoyed reading the posts on this comment thread as well as the timeline. My heart goes out to the kids and grandkids left behind. I’ve experienced many emotions reading their posts. What a story. A family member should write the book….before some stranger does.
I was talking with some guys toaday about how it was the restaurant to be seen when I lived in Temple Terrace back in 1980-81. I worked at the SeaWolf as a waiter for over a year, and can remember it like it was yesterday. Great place, and it was a real experience to eat there with the animals an what-not. Plus as 20-year olds who didn’t have much money we never starved!
Hello Jack please say hello to your father and your grandparents for me. I was in Tampa a year ago and tried to visit but couldn’t contact anyone at the time. I spent alot of time with Jack and Judy. They are very special people and I hope they are doing well. We used to communicate by sending Christmas cards but we have missed the past few years. Please give them my best. I was married to your Uncle Gene in the 80’s I also have alot of fond memmories. When you see him tell him Susan says hello Hudson…..take care
Hi I was told by a friend,who had visited the resturant years ago, to go there when I am in Tampa. Is it still in business? I will be there next week and would like to see it even more so after reading Genes story.
Bob Dourney was my father. Holloway’s antics cost my father dearly.
man this is weird. i just was thinking about the wolf, so i googled gene, and hear i am… this is drew moore. the guy tha worked with paco for two or three years.i had some of the best times of my life in that restaurant(sea wolf). i would go pick-up all the fresh stuff for the restaurant every morning at the farmers market on hillsborugh ave. man i can tell you some storys about that place, so if you have eney questions! or want to get in-touch. pleas write me at drewtheglassman@aol.com
Hi this is Jack Holloway, Gene Holloway is my uncle and my dad, Jimmy Holloway, has told tons of stories about my uncle Gene and his sea Wolfe.Most of the stories are about his tigers, black leopard, a moutain lion or a panther, can’t remeber which.I see him almost every day so if you are one of his old friends I can tell him hi for you.
Gene holloway is my uncle, I see him all the time.
I keep the communication loop open to Dad at RHollowayClass78@aol.com As a favor to him I provide his contact information to those out there that have lost contact with him over the years. He sends his deep appreciation for all the kind postings he has received here at Memories of Sea Wolf Restaurant. He values the friendships he has made over the years and looks forward to talking with those who are interested again in the near future. Here is something that is kind of humorous that everyone might want to check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl-TlfqVdFE or go to the YouTube site and just type in Gene Holloway. Thanks in advance for your replies and I wish everyone a Merry Christmas.
With Warm Wishes,
Randall (Randy) Holloway
I met Gene in 1978 at the Sea Wolf. I was with about 10 friends from work.
Gene was making his rounds and joined our table for a while. Following that meeting we became friends. I found him to always be very kind, always interesting and generous. I found him to be a very sincere and deep person; that was my experience. He was a hard working business man with many accomplishments and he loved that gordeous restaurant. As is the case with most of us, he was not perfect; and who is?? Gene was very kind to me personally and I have witnessed him being very kind to many others along the way. I am glad he is doing well and continue to wish him the very best. Write a book Gene.
hi gene, i don’t know if you remember me or not. we grew up together in drew park. floyd mckenzie and i were talking about you the last time i was in tampa. mom and dad and my sister rosie have all passed on. sure would be nice to see you again. will be in fla sometime in jan 08 if you think you would want to get together.
I know they played it on Q-95 and I believe it was also on 98 Rock radio stations. I would start my inquiries with the radio stations first about getting a copy of Gene Gone Away. Good luck on your search. I believe your Dad piloted for us and I’ve heard Dad mention his name often. He flew the plane for me at Zepherhills Parachuting Center when I made my first skydiving jump. Is your Dad the same person I’m talking about? It’s been quite some time ago and I get a lot of people mixed up from back then.
My father was on the boat the day that gene “dissappeared” We were personal friends of gene and family.
I’m looking for the radio spoof song that played so much on popular radio back then titled “gene gone-away”
If you know where I can get a copy. iet me know…
hey grandpa just saying hi you have alot of history about you but anyways hopefully you have time in your life to talk to me and you great grandson nathan. you should’nt of let the sea wolf resturant go the first time. i just wated to say hi uncle randy holloway.
I worked as a bus-boy at the Tampa Sea Wolf from the time it opened until July 1979. My friends and myself enjoyed many fine meals there. We all took our girlfriends. I was just a kid but Gene always treated me pretty well. I have a lot of fond memories of people I met there. Anybody have any idea where Paco is now?
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Posted by Debbie Piehl, St. Petersburg, FL on 03/30 at 04:58 PM
I grew up in Tampa and frequented the Sea Wolf restaurant, ranking it as one of my favorites. My husband and I became engaged in 1982 and married in April of 1983 in Tampa. Our rehearsal dinner was at the Sea Wolf….what memories!