Tom Spicer Loses His Garden

Posted on January 28th, 2011 1:52pm by Nancy Nichols
Filed under Celebrity Chefs, Farmers Markets

Some disappointing news from our favorite spice man Tom Spicer:

The first of the concrete companies have showed up at my FM 1410 garden to measure how much concrete will be needed to pave it over. If you’ve ever been to this neighborhood to shop at Jimmy’s or my store or Urbano, you know that parking is a real big problem.

So now my garden landlords (different than the one I lease the retail storefront.) Jack Kemp, Karen and Robert Udishen see there’s some real potential money to be made with a parking lot.

They own several empty lots in this neighbor hood but the closest one to Jimmy’s is my garden so…Any way…I’m hoping to hold a few fundraisers so I can buy an urban parcel to cultivate.

I will also probably relocate my business as well and return to wholesale only as Urbano, who I as keeper of the keys at 1410 N. Fitzhugh, all but installed them into both spaces on either side after they closed their Uptown location due high rent and sluggish economy have been licking their chops at the deck I put in which will ultimately overlook a smashing new parking lot.

I’m keeping it brief because I have lots to consider including where I’m going to go from here.

Oh…and Jack Kemp didn’t have the huevos to call me about this new twist. The concrete company sent a rep to walk off my garden dimensions, how bout them apples, Dallas. Keepin real spicy y’all and will let you know how things develop.

I think this is job for SideDish. We’ll get something going for you Spice Man. You are a treasure to the city.

UPDATE: Robert Wilonsky has a few more details.

27 comments

  1. Sad news indeed. Please don’t go wholesale only. Please.

    @ 2:02 pm on January 28, 2011

  2. F.

    @ 2:06 pm on January 28, 2011

  3. This is so so so so so so SUPER LAME! Way to ruin another Dallas treasure.

    @ 2:07 pm on January 28, 2011

  4. I’m in. Sign me up to picket, work a petition, go on a hunger strike . . . wait, not that one . . . pass the plate. Whatever. This sucks. And I’d rather take a bus to Jimmy’s then park on that sacred ground.

    @ 2:09 pm on January 28, 2011

  5. This is so upsetting. Maybe some sort of membership loyalty program would help raise funds…

    @ 2:19 pm on January 28, 2011

  6. This would have never happened if Urbano would have leased the space recently occupied “you can’t park here you dirty gringo” latino grocery.

    Sad days indeed.

    @ 2:28 pm on January 28, 2011

  7. As I’ve said before, the greediest landowners and landlords in the country are right here in Dallas.

    @ 2:31 pm on January 28, 2011

  8. That’s effed up. I’ll certainly never patronize any such future inhabitant of that location.

    @ 2:36 pm on January 28, 2011

  9. Is this the same Robert Udishen that D named as one of the “best” lawyers in Dallas in 2009?

    @ 2:40 pm on January 28, 2011

  10. [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by SideDish, Robbie Good, Ian McCann, jeanaplasfoxman, DFW Breaking News and others. DFW Breaking News said: Tom Spicer Loses His Garden: Some disappointing news from our favorite spice man Tom Spicer: The first of the… http://dlvr.it/FJPjF [...]

    @ 2:41 pm on January 28, 2011

  11. I have a pretty sweet backyard he can use.

    @ 3:39 pm on January 28, 2011

  12. If anyone had the huevos to say it, the threat to boycott Jimmys would solve this.

    @ 4:12 pm on January 28, 2011

  13. We are sooo sad to hear this.

    @ 4:27 pm on January 28, 2011

  14. It’s A Con

    @ 5:00 pm on January 28, 2011

  15. “Tom, put down the bong and get real” (in a Dr. Phil voice)

    @ 5:22 pm on January 28, 2011

  16. Spiro is so right. Just stop going to Jimmy’s for a few months, and that would get their attention, but Dallas would never have the balls to do such a thing.

    @ 7:29 pm on January 28, 2011

  17. Tom, we’re up and moving to Austin. You should too. I’ll need fennel pollen, and that crap won’t happen to you there. You’ll be appreciated.

    @ 7:52 pm on January 28, 2011

  18. I hate to say it but Cuonzo make a good point. Austin is your kind of town, Tom.

    @ 9:20 pm on January 28, 2011

  19. This is so sad! Spicer is one of the few great things about dallas.

    @ 10:47 pm on January 28, 2011

  20. So very sad….I think Joni said it best, ” They pave paradise, put up a parking lot.”

    @ 8:22 am on January 29, 2011

  21. Spiro and Pasta Lover- A couple of clueless “foodies”. Jimmys has nothing to do with this. They don’t own the land of the “Garden” and have nothing to do with any parking and oh yeah they’ve been there 40 years. But that”s just like Spicer to throw a neighbor under bus yet again and morons like you that believe what this gut spews.

    @ 11:59 am on January 29, 2011

  22. Bill Wiess is correct. This is a total con. Paving the garden ( not true). A fundraiser, for what, he dosen’t have a lease, not even a new location with a lease. Who would give money to someone with that in mind. The fundraiser sounds like a way to pay old bills. Buyer beware.

    @ 12:10 pm on January 29, 2011

  23. Hmm, I smell something fishy growing in the garden.

    @ 5:19 pm on January 29, 2011

  24. Tom Spicer is a drama queen and not very business savvy.

    @ 10:05 am on January 30, 2011

  25. [...] just heard from Tom Spicer. Friday he sent out a note to let his customers know that his garden was going to become a parking lot. The concrete contractors showed up to measure and Tom was hopping mad to find out he was losing [...]

    @ 9:08 am on January 31, 2011

  26. Does anyone want to apologize, after learning that this story was total bull, for:
    1. Calling for a boycott of Jimmy’s
    2. Blaming Urbano
    3. Calling the landlord greedy
    4. Hating on the little grocery store
    I’m looking at you, Spiro, Twinwillow, Marcus and especially Tom Spicer for pointing the finger at his neighbors (or giving the finger, I should say) rather than accept responsibility for his business problems. Garden’s very cool, but the behavior is not.

    @ 2:19 pm on January 31, 2011

  27. I’ve asked Tom to address what he claimed in his email. Waiting for reply. All good points.

    @ 4:27 pm on January 31, 2011