They were forced to close, they said, explaining that their landlord, who did not renew their lease, plans to redevelop the small shopping center that the building occupies. Xu and part-owner Brandon Byars said that business remained brisk. Eventually, all were sold except the original, which Iacovella ran until 2007, when he sold it to local restaurateur Jackie Xu. It became so successful that the partners expanded, adding restaurants in downtown Tampa, Carrollwood and Lakeland.

“Eventually we started getting hard cover ones, drilling in a hole and chaining it to the table, and they still disappeared,’’ he said. Iacovella figures they bought 15,000 copies over the years. He saw a children’s book by William Steig titled, C D B! The author featured combinations of letters that could be stated as phrases, such as “See the bee!’’ The restaurateurs put copies of the book at tables for customers to read while waiting for their orders, and the books vanished like pizzas. Iacovella said he came up with the name of the restaurant while he and Kutno were students at the Southern Connecticut City College. It was nothing for us to work seven days, 15 to 16 hours a day. They bought all used equipment, and they were the entire wait staff until the business grew enough that they could afford to hire help. How else will their brains grow if you don't?ĬDB is one of my all time favorite childrens books and I absolutely love it.Iacovella and two buddies, Larry Kutno and Bernie Reichert, each put in $5,000 to open the restaurant. Make their brains work hard for rewards, instead of having everything presented to them on a silver platter in multimedia. I think all parents should get their kids this book. To this day those three letters in succession will make me smile. Even now, I remember how happy this book made me.Īs an example, the books name CDB comes with a picture of a large bee and a flower - meaning In a sense I was reading, even though I was too young to read at the time. I would do the happy dance all through the halls into the kitchen to show my Mom that I had succeeded. When I got each one I was simply enthralled.

Making the sounds and trying to figure out which words they were trying to mean. I remember this book like it was yesterday. This is the most awesome book for kids in the world.

Cdb by william steig