Employees gather around the “artsy” DJ station, made of gleaming welded aluminum. Lisa Stark photos.
June 9, 2016 — The new Inception Bar & Grill made its debut in Apollo Beach at its “packed house” Grand Opening on May 5, celebrating Cinco de Mayo with Mexican Sunrise cocktails and Mexican-themed appetizers. Now entering into its first full month in business, the new venue is settling into the area’s dining and entertainment scene, hoping to bring something unique to locals thirsting for a change.
“We’re still evolving, but we hope to make Inception something different from the rest,” said owner Nicole Flake, who is excited about entering into the restaurant and bar business after retiring from her many years in corporate America. “We’re going to be offering a fresh new menu, plus different types of entertainment, focused more on dance and DJ music, in a fun and classy atmosphere.”
Inception’s current entertainment calendar includes karaoke on Wednesdays, disco and dance music on “Throwback Thursdays” and “Fist Pumping Fridays” with DJ Rex. The décor of the new venue is comfortable and classy, and features an interesting DJ booth made of gleaming welded aluminum pieces. Local art teacher Will Talenti assisted with the design of the booth, including the Inception signage that forms the backdrop for the stage.
Excited about their Grand Opening on May 5 are Angel Chovanec, left, and Nicole Flake.
Inception is open daily for lunch, with appetizers, soup, salads and sandwiches. Its full dinner menu begins at 4 p.m., and features everything from wings and loaded nachos to Parmesan-crusted chicken, specialty burgers, New York strip steak, and shish kebab.
“The food was great,” said local diner Jackey Hankard-Brodie. “My husband had the hickory burger and loved it.”
“Our burger is probably our best seller,” said Flake. “People also like the chicken cordon bleu sandwich and our New York strip steaks.”
Flake, originally from Clearwater, says her culinary interest originated from her lifelong “love of food” and trying out new recipes at home in her own kitchen.
A certified dietary manager, she began her career in hospitality fresh out of college, working her way through young adulthood in various restaurants and resorts. After moving into the health-care industry and spending 15 years as a property real-estate manager for Baycare, Flake says she is thrilled to return to one of her first loves: the restaurant business.
“Great dinner!” said local customer Cathy Coushaine. “The menu was impressive, and the food was delicious. We will be back!”
After the dinner hour, Inception’s evening and late-night admissions policy begins at 10 p.m., with a dress code that is detailed on the company’s website.
A variety of fresh salads are featured on Inception’s menu.
“At first there was some opposition from people who didn’t like our dress code policy,” said bar manager Mickey Chovanec. “It was a shocker to some, but once they understood what our purpose was, they calmed down.”
[The after-10 p.m. dress code specifies no sagging pants or hoodies, no flip-flops, no political or offensive T-shirts and more.]
Although the dress code received mixed reaction on social media, Flake explained that the goal is to “keep the late night atmosphere a safe, fun and positive experience for everyone. We want to move away from some of the negative history that may have been associated with this location in the past.”
“We’re still evolving,” said Chovanec. “We value our customers’ opinions, but bottom line is we want to create something fun and upscale for Apollo Beach.”
Their plan is to continue expanding Inception’s entertainment offerings in the upcoming months, adding in live bands and solo performers.
“We’re still transitioning,” said Flake. “People are going to see a lot of changes in the next few months once we get settled in.”
One Inception bar patron, (who was sipping a cold beer while waiting for the start of the Tampa Bay Lightning game) commented: “Finally a quality place that’s locally owned. I can’t wait to try out the late-night music scene. Apollo Beach is ready for something new.”
Inception Bar & Grill is at 250 Apollo Beach Blvd. and is open daily from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., closed Mondays. For more information, visit www.inceptionbarandgrill.com or call 813-641-0065.