Jack Sheppard's Super Market, 1407 South Howard Avenue
Jack Sheppard's Super Market, 1407 South Howard Avenue, night photograph with illuminated neon sign and interior. 1946. Burgert Brothers. Courtesy, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System
Parking lot for The Soho Building, 1407 South Howard Avenue 2022. © Chip Weiner
Jack Sheppard began his South Howard business career with Howard Avenue Garage at 515 South Howard in 1926. His business offered standard car service, wrecker service, and had room to store 350 cars. The business later moved to 1216 S Howard, now the location of Bern’s Steakhouse parking lot. Sheppard was also a car race enthusiast and promoter and raced at the South Florida Fair (now the Florida State Fair). He built his own race car, a 16-valve Fronty Special, and raced at tracks around the country. By most accounts, he had a successful racing career through the early 1930s, and his strong suit was in race promotions for the fair.
In 1935, he moved his operation two blocks south to 1407 South Howard when he purchased the Park View Garage, and by the middle 1940s opened his supermarket there. Being an experienced promoter, Sheppard knew how to draw crowds. On Saturday mornings, he sponsored his own radio hour on WDAE, the largest station in the city. Broadcasting directly from his store, he had cowboy bands with names like Bud’s Backaroos on the program. In 1948 he converted this store into Jack Sheppard’s Bowling Center, a 10-lane bowling alley that sponsored leagues for several years. In 1953, he started a new venture, opening Import Motors on the second floor of the bowling alley and later moving the dealership downstairs. In 1975, Sheppard sold out to Dave Heinz Imports and moved to Texas. He died there at the age of 86. In 1986, Hoffman Associates transformed the structure into The SoHo building. Bella’s Pasta and Pizza was the anchor tenant. The spot of Sheppard’s old store is now a parking lot.
© Chip Weiner. All rights reserved
From Burgert Brothers: Look Again, Vol.2
Photos and captions contributed by John Shea, from the Sheppard/Shea Collection
Joe behind the wheel of Jacks Sprint Car With His Mother Gertrude
This is Joe Sheppard in 47 shortly after he graduated from Plant High School. The car is a 32 Ford Roadster. Joe built the car from parts he bought from local salvage yards. It was highly modified with a Ardun OHV conversion. He installed a Lincoln Zephyr two-speed rear end when he and a friend drove it across the country to California. The home in the background is the family’s on Moody Ave. The house still exists with little change.
Lotus Nine. 1956. Claude Haycraft. Jack insisted on having a photo taken of each of Joe's race cars the moment it arrived at the dealership. He was a respected photographer and also drove Austin-Healeys and MG TDs. He contracted polio as a child but persevered, eventually learning how to walk again. This is a photo of him upstairs in the building that was originally a bowling alley. The photo captures the first Lotus Nine delivered to the South East. He is the one with his hands on his hips. Warren Smith is the tall guy. Joe is on the right, touching the car. Grapette! Familiar? The nine was in bare aluminum, and Joe never painted it. He and Warren were to race it at Sebring in 56, but Curtis LeMay said Hell No! Warren was a valuable B-47 pilot and was temporarily grounded for the stunt.
Jack Sr and his son Joe. Sheppard's was known in the sports car community for Joe's racing success. The car is a Lotus Eleven. It won its class at LeMans in 1956. Jack picked up the phone and called the factory. Spoke to Colin Chapman himself and struck a deal. Joe and #210 (seen under the hood) were almost unbeaten in it over the next few years.
This photo was taken in front of the dealership on S. Howard Ave. The big event was the unveiling of the first Jaguar XK E delivered to the Southeast. Again, another example of Jack SR’s marketing skills. His promotional work started during his Grocery store days. The gentleman sitting in the car is Franklin Delano Roosevelt, FDR’s son. He was the Jaguar distributor for the East Coast. The Healy 3000 sitting in the background reminds me of the one I bought from John Shepherd. John was a professor at USF. He autocrossed the car before he sold it to me.
Joe Sheppard, 2017
This car was owned by Gay Jackson from Tennessee. He ran a large furniture manufacturing company. He only hired bachelors to drive for him. He gave the car to Joe Sheppard after it was no longer competitive. Joe offered it to me for $ 5000 in 1969. Way more than I had to spend. The car is worth millions today. The photo was taken in Bradenton in the early 70’s.
John Shea in his Austin Healy