The owners of LoveBird Almost Famous Chicken have a new eatery in the works: a honky-tonk-themed, quick-serve burger restaurant and bar called Grievous Angel. It will be at 801 E. Main St., the former location of Unfiltered Lakeland and The Poor Porker.
Grievous Angel will be a third Polk County restaurant for Florida Southern College graduate and Lakeland native Jeremy Brumley, 50, and his wife Leah, 51. The pair opened the first LoveBird restaurant on South Florida Avenue in April 2021. They added a Winter Haven location on Sept. 3.
However, this venture is a new concept that does not involve chicken.
What’s on the menu: Brumley said he plans to serve smash burgers, hotdogs, soft-serve ice cream, beer and wine. Planning documents filed with the city say the restaurant will serve lunch and dinner daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
“I am always excited to do new things and all the challenges that come along with them,” Brumley said. “I can only hope to contribute to the already successful restaurant and bar community that currently exists there and strive to further the agenda of having a thriving downtown.”
What does the name mean? Music figures prominently in Brumley’s life and professional endeavors. His first business was Woodpecker Records in Lakeland, which he opened right out of high school and ran for a decade. After selling it, he and Leah founded Rockstar Moms, an edgy maternity clothing company.
LoveBird’s brand has a Nashville-inspired, rock-and-roll theme with curated playlists and hot pink, gold, black and white decor. T-shirts for sale are riffs on album covers by artists like Prince, David Bowie, The Beatles and Michael Jackson, but they feature chickens.
So perhaps it’s not surprising that the new venture is steeped in music. Grievous Angel was the name of a 1974 album by Winter Haven native Gram Parsons. The album was a groundbreaking hybrid between country and rock. It featured Emmylou Harris and was released shortly after Parsons’ death.
When will the new restaurant open? Brumley said in the spring that he hoped to open Grievous Angel by the end of the year. However, that doesn’t appear likely. The site, across from Lake Mirror and the Texas Cattle Company, still has Unfiltered signage.
The Brumleys were focused on launching the Winter Haven location of LoveBird and then getting both restaurants back up and running after Hurricane Milton.
What will it look like? Plans prepared by Whitehead Construction and submitted to the city of Lakeland in February reveal that Brumley intends to remove the outdoor kitchen pavilion area, outbuildings, gazebo and trailer shed, and add a covered outdoor dining space.
The outdoor area would seat up to 38 guests, and indoor seating would accommodate 31.
New beginning: The property has seen a lot of change in recent years. Unfiltered Lakeland, an artistically Boho coffee shop, opened there in February 2023 but closed just nine months later. Before that, the property was home to the Poor Porker, known for its beignets. After some of its original owners left the business, its patrons dwindled and it eventually closed in July 2022.
Brumley is convinced his business will succeed.
“Hard to speak on previous business’ challenges as restaurants and bars are very complicated in terms of why they have success and not. We have a clear vision, great people, and are committed to doing the things we do on a daily basis to create positive reactions, one interaction at a time. The location’s history will have little to no impact on our future plans,” Brumley said. “Our plans are much different than previous business models.”
Seeking incentives: The proposed restaurant’s location is within the Community Redevelopment Agency’s Downtown district, making it eligible for financial incentives.
The Brumleys have applied for $25,000 in grants to supplement the $400,000 they plan to spend on renovations. The grants would be for facade and site improvement, infill adaptive reuse and expansion of food and beverage options downtown. The application is under review.
Brumley’s previous success: Brumley has a lengthy track record in the food and beverage industry. Previously, he worked for PDQ Chicken and eventually became chief operating officer, overseeing the development of the brand in 12 states and 84 locations. Brumley also worked as the chief operating officer for Mr. Beast Burger, and as chief operating officer for Chicken Guy.
It was risky to launch the original LoveBird in April 2021, when the restaurant industry was still reeling from pandemic closures and supply chain disruptions. But from the start, it has regularly had lines out of the door, with people waiting to get a bite of its Nashville-inspired hot chicken.
“We are extremely grateful for all the continued support. LoveBird was an idea before COVID and was always rooted in the idea of doing something fun in and for the Lakeland community,” Brumley recalled. “COVID hit (and) I knew it would be the time to draw it up. I spent that time creating and remodeling the site. It was a very organic process and I was, in an odd way, fortunate to have many months to stop my life and focus on it.”
All in: Brumley said, initially, he thought LoveBird would be open a few days a week. But by October 2023, he was fully committed to developing the Almost Famous Hospitality Group’s brands and company.
However, he said he doesn’t have plans to franchise his operations. He and Leah have four children, ages 16 to 30. All of the projects are family and locally owned and operated.
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Awesome! I love hamburgers! Lots of best wishes and success for the Brumley’s.