Forty-year-old Jimmy Ciaccio credits his father, Gaspar, with teaching him four key elements to running a successful business. They are having a good work ethic, respecting your employees, taking pride in what you do and having a fine sense of family values.
Those are the qualities that built the Temple Terrace Lounge, a business Gaspar started in 1960, Jimmy took over in 1989 and renamed the Temple Terrace Cigar Bar and Grill in 2003. "He taught me everything I know and there's a passion in everything I do - the same as my dad had," Jimmy said. "He was a good businessman."
That same fervor has led Jimmy to continually make improvements, including expanding its menu and adding an outside patio that features live music Friday and Saturday nights.
In conjunction with the changes, in January Jimmy again changed its name to Gaspar's Patio Bar & Grille, in honor of his father who died in 2002.
The qualities his father taught him and he's put to the test have also had an impact on his customers.
Gaspar's Patio Bar & Grille recently won five first place awards -- best burger, best happy hour, best pub/bar, best wings and best live entertainment/nightclub -- in the Best of Temple Terrace contest, presented by the Temple Terrace News.
"I'm honored because I want to grow with Temple Terrace," said Jimmy, who's now in the process of adding more seafood items to the menu. "I want people when they come in here to leave their problems at home and that's what I tell my employees. Service is where it's at."