17-Year Tampa Firefighter Retires to Grow Restaurant Business Full-Time

TAMPA, FL / ACCESSWIRE / March 3, 2023 / Lieutenant Anthony Fonseca recently retired after serving and protecting for 17 years with the Hillsborough County Fire Department.

Lieutenant Fonseca is also the owner of Station House BBQ, a Tampa Bay favorite BBQ spot, located in Lutz, FL just north of Tampa.

Anthony has impacted hundreds, if not thousands, of lives throughout his tenure as a firefighter,paramedic, and officer with the fire department, as well as through his mission work in Haiti, and of course through the Station House BBQ’s extensive community outreach.

Anthony, and his wife Allison, a former Hillsborough County teacher, both life-long Tampa natives, started their business as a small catering operation in 2016. When COVID hit, their newly acquired business, Station House BBQ, almost didn’t survive. By October of 2020, they made the pivot to opening a restaurant, and they have been growing and expanding ever since.

The Station House BBQ Facebook page has cultivated more than 10,000 fans, and Station House BBQ was featured on Good Morning America in May of 2022.

As a family of deep faith, Anthony and Allison have always been committed to treating their business as a ministry, sharing their faith, demonstrating God’s love, and extending God’s grace whenever and wherever possible.

As a manifestation of both their great faith AND great BBQ, Station House BBQ has grown so exponentially that Anthony has decided to take an early retirement from The Hillsborough County Fire Department to focus his time on growing his ministry and community involvement in
new ways via his rapidly expanding portfolio of local food brands.

To celebrate this monumental personal and professional milestone, Station House BBQ is hosting a retirement celebration on Sunday, March 5, 2023 from 11am to 3pm.

The event is expected to attract hundreds of the business’ supporters as well as former colleagues, friends, family, and community members.

Proceeds from the event are being used to establish The Michael Blaylock Center For First Responder Resources, a not-for-profit organization that supports first responders and their families through many of the unique personal challenges these essential workers face due to the nature of their profession: from PTSD, career-transitioning, health challenges, grief, and more.

The center is named in honor of Michael “Mookie” Blaylock, Anthony’s former fellow firefighter, BBQ enthusiast, and brother in Christ who supported Anthony since the beginning of his culinary journey. Mr. Blaylock recently lost his battle to cancer after 30 years of service with the fire department.

Please Contact:

Tori Molnar
813-360-9212
[email protected]

SOURCE: Station House BBQ