Skip town: Owner of iconic local music venue decides to cash out

It might not be the equivalent of the Feb. 3, 1959, plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper, but for many Tampa Bay area music fans, Sept. 25, 2020, is the day the music died. 

That’s when Skipper’s Smokehouse, a beloved eatery and music venue, announced it was up for sale. Tom White, who’s owned and operated the Tampa institution for 40 years, announces in a press release, cheekily titled “Goin’ Fishin’,” that it’s time to cash out. 

Cricket Larson, Skipper’s director of public relations and marketing, says the COVID-19 crisis was the final pain point for the venue, which relies on live music events to drive food and beverage sales. The pandemic, she tells Coffee Talk, “pushed us over the edge.”

Because the two revenue streams are so intertwined, Skipper’s was never able to fully reopen, so White, approaching his 74th birthday, made the difficult decision to sell. He’s asking $1.5 million for the property.

“Our preferred method is to completely cash out and have someone else run the business,” Larson says. "But no options are off the table.” She says White is open to a joint venture or partnership that would allow him to exit day-to-day management duties, though he would stay involved and help with the transition to a new operator. 

“The biggest goal,” Larson says, “is to ensure the brand survives in the way it’s built currently. It’s important to reach a deal with someone who is like-minded when it comes to culture and music.”

Skipper’s comes with a national profile, having been featured on the Golf Channel, Travel Channel and CBS Sports, the release states. The venue has raised millions of dollars for charities over the years and hosted Grammy-winning bands and musicians. Larson says she’s already received multiple offers and letters of intent, but the ideal buyer will be locally based and have a plan to continue to operate Skipper’s as a live music venue. 

“We won’t be selling out to a condo developer or Amscot,” she says. “We want to see the legacy live on.”