If you read my post from last night you saw that I ended the post without getting into any great details about the Shepard’s Clearwater Beach portion of the night. I knew this would be a rant that was on the longer side and didn’t want to bog down one post about a lot more than a Shepard’s experience.
Those of you that have taken the time to go through my Pictures have probably noticed a shit load of pictures from Shepard’s for various events or nights out. I have spent a lot of time and money at Shepard’s through the past 4 years. We have gone there after Tanning Salon events, hockey games, parties, and whatever else you can think, we have sponsored their Mrs. Extreme Bikini Contest for 3 years. We have flown in a DJ who spun there during one of their DJ events, we have partied with DJ Ray more times than I can remember, hell we have even hired some of the Bouncers from there for our own events.
Now before I get started I will say that Billy Shepard (the owners son), and his Sisters have always been a pleasure to deal with, always very polite. I will also say that Shepard’s has one of the nicest spots on Clearwater Beach. The view from the back deck is unreal and there is always good music as well. When you get into Shepard’s they have an Excellent Restraunt and a club called “The Wave“.
Now with that said, and if you took it for face value your impression of Shepard’s is that it’s an excellent place to go, especially if your on a Vacation and it’s considered a Spring Break and Summer Hot spot in the Clearwater Florida area.
The next thing that comes to my mind is that your assumption would be right, as long as you had no intention of going to either Shepard’s Beach Front area or The Wave. Here is where it gets annoying, now mind you going as a typical guest you probably would only notice half of the idiocy when it comes to most of the Bouncers there. It blows me away how a specific bouncer there (and you know exactly who the fuck you are)Â has his giant panties all waded up in a bunch. You see a few years back I needed a couple of Bouncers for a couple of Private parties we were throwing in Las Vegas, I ended up not taking this one specific bouncer because I already had the two selected. Up until that point I had a really good relationship with Bouncer X, always tipped him better than excellent any time he helped out someone in my group or whatever else. However, once sally soft panties got passed over for the event he became a giant asshole.
Well last I heard Bouncer X was running the show when it came to their Bouncers, doesn’t bother me, I never had a problem with the guy and if it’s better for him than good for him, even though he did fuck over another really good friend of mine to get where he’s at. Long story short I show up for the first time in almost a year (last time I was there was another cluster fuck so I couldn’t be bothered going back), everyone is in great spirits on our side. We pull up and get out to head into The Wave at Shepards when I notice Bouncer X hawking me like I just stuffed his puppy in my napsack. No biggie, I move on doing what it is I was going to do. I turn again and there is Bouncer X like he has nothing else to do (mind you it was dead as shit), but in all seriousness Im walking to the bathroom to take a piss and this guy is all over my shit. It starts to get more annoying, than I head out to the Limo to look for someone in my party, I turn and yet again there’s Bouncer X with his head up my ass.
At this point I can’t be bothered playing the 13 year old games of some Bouncer who had his precious feelings hurt a few years ago. Shepard’s is a nice place, they have made a ton of changes and done some great things over the past couple of years. It’s too bad they haven’t fixed one of the largest problems they have just yet, it all starts at the top for that Department and as long as so and so is running that show that part of Shepard’s will continue to be fucked up. I have talked to many people that use to go to Shepard’s over the years, all age groups and the key word being use to. Last year new places opened around them and even though Shepard’s was dead, the attitude was, “Everyone will come back, it’s just the new thing.” I think that sounds great too, but in reality many of those people that left and went to Crabby Bills or Rehab, still have yet to come back to Shepard’s because they can’t stand dealing with the Bouncers there. Keep in mind it’s not all of them, but the one’s that it is are the one’s that effect the entire perception of The Wave and Shepard’s outdoors.
Let’s face the facts, we know Shepard’s doesn’t give a flying fuck about any single customer and how unhappy they are about an experience there. And to be honest there is nothing wrong with that, it’s business, it’s too bad though that even though you would think it wouldn’t effect them, it will especially in time. Hopefully in the future I will be doing shit at Shepard’s again, but I can assure you as long as the 13 year old shit continues to go on, I can think of 100 other places in the Tampa, Clearwater area to spend my money at, entertain friends and business associates at and sponsor events at.
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