Riding High
David Earp and Tucson’s serve up the best of the Southwest to Bay Area diners.

By Jay Winchester

There are those who will tell you that the restaurant business can be a long, hard ride. While David Earp, the Principal of Tucson’s, would agree, he’d also be the first to tell you that it can be a richly rewarding ride, as well. We’ll talk about David’s experiences and why he feels this way in a moment; right now, let’s talk about his establishment.

Tucson’s is a Southwest Grill offering an intense focus on food quality and price point. “The restaurant has a warm Southwest feel that is inviting to all groups, travelers, families or business people,” says Earp, blessed with a surname that evokes images of the Old West, fitting well with the theme of his restaurant. “We offer great steaks and seafood cooked over a split-oak fire. We also have the Southwest classics - fajitas, burritos, and tacos - done correctly, meaning that our meats are fresh and marinated on the property. Our sauces are homemade daily in our restaurant.”

David recommends that diners try these dishes: “There are a couple of items that we take pride in,” he says. “There is our Tequila Lime Salmon, which is open grilled fresh salmon with a twist on a classic beurre blanc sauce. We offer a Prime Rib with a wonderful southwest rub that we slow roast for six hours. There is our Ancho Glazed Chicken, which features flame grilled twin chicken breasts brushed with a sweet and spicy honey glaze and finished with a fresh pineapple salsa. And finally, no one should miss our Fajitas. These get a special focus as they represent our connection to our past.”

Tucson’s is located in Clearwater on Icot Boulevard, and serves patrons throughout Pinellas County and the western edges of Hillsborough, including residents of the downtown Tampa area. The restaurant offers full catering facilities with three private rooms, the largest holding over 200 people and featuring a long hardwood bar and private entrance. The establishment enjoys great relationships with the local business community and performs many regular off-site catering functions for area businesses. “We are a one-stop event catering option with full service for any event,” Earp says. “We can host all-day business seminars, social events, associations, wedding receptions and even ceremonies. We also offer the same services as an off-site package. We cater a lunchtime service for large area businesses on a regular basis. This provides hot, fresh meals to employees at little or no cost to the company, plus we get additional business.”

Innovations like that are partly a response to the current economic environment, but also a result of Earp’s well-honed business sense, sharpened over 30 years of employment in full service food operations. He worked his way through school as a dishwasher’s assistant before moving up to working in both the kitchen and dining room. Along the way, Earp has held numerous positions that have helped broaden his experience and knowledge of what can be a very competitive industry. He has worked as Full Supervisor at the French Pavilion at Epcot Center, run by three famous chefs: Bocuse, Le Notre and Verge. From there he moved to France, working as a construction coordinator for food service facilities and rides at the Disneyland Paris project. His next stop was as Operations Manager for three restaurants in the park, opening them and employing managers and staff. Then he and his wife, Rolande, whom he’d met at Epcot and pursued to France, culminating their romance with a wedding in Paris, came back to the States in 1992, and David went to work for Charley and Ron Woodsby. Charley made his mark in the business by opening the first Red Lobster; Ron currently owns all the Charley’s and Texas Cattle Company steak establishments. From there, David moved to the Rainforest Café, working as the Director of Restaurants while moving to- and through- Miami, Dallas and Orlando, before finally rising to Director of Operations in Chicago.

However, after many moves and much success, the Earps felt the need to find a place to call home. “After moving my wife 12 times in 15 years of marriage, we decided to make a home, so we bought a business here in Clearwater,” he says. And while that business has been good, there have been, and still are, some challenges to overcome. When asked what those challenges might be, Earp’s response reveals his broad perspective on his chosen profession. “The no brainer answer is the economy, but I think that it is more than that,” he says thoughtfully. “The industry is being challenged on many levels. More non-traditional venues are taking on services that were traditionally reserved for restaurants. Examples of this trend are the ready-to-eat foods found in every gas station or grocery store.”

Earp continues, addressing a peripheral issue he believes will soon be moving center stage. “Another, and more serious, problem, in my opinion, is a changing consumer environment,” says Earp. “The economic pressures have made people evaluate their spending habits and diet. The restaurants that expect to succeed today and tomorrow will have to consistently provide two things: intense value for the money and healthy choices. I really believe that the latter is the 800-pound gorilla sitting at the table. In a general sense, the American diet, as currently constituted, cannot continue. The health issues facing the American public- especially young adults and our youth- are staggering. The industry must respond by providing services to help people make informed choices about what, when and where they eat.”

Still, despite the challenges, the long hours, the endless parade of obstacles and all the moving, Earp is content and at peace with his career of choice. “I have just loved it,” he states enthusiastically. “I’ve loved all of it: The people, the travel, the food and the dynamic nature of the business. I came from a family of teachers, and I was introduced at family functions as David, who works in a restaurant until he gets a real job. Well, thirty years later, I can honestly say that this has been a wonderfully real job. I sit on three boards that focus on the Hospitality Education community: Pro-Start, Pinellas County Educational Foundation and The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. I do this to bring a message of hope to young people, and that message is this: If you work hard and educate yourself in the restaurant business, the opportunities are dynamic and the sky is the limit.”

That’s David Earp. Living, loving and thriving at Tucson’s, Florida’s taste of the old Southwest here in Tampa Bay.