Nowhere is the place to be

Posted on January 14, 2021

It has been just over one year since Mark and Tammy Lynn Ingle took a leap of faith and fulfilled their long-time dream of opening up a restaurant.
Now, the couple is making exciting plans for their second full year of business located “in the middle of nowhere” along Taylor County’s coast.
Born and raised in Clay County, just south of Jacksonville, the couple visited and vacationed along Taylor County’s Gulf coast for years before purchasing property and a home in the area in 2019.
“This area has always been a favorite for our family, especially our aunt and uncle who originally brought me over for my first time years ago,” Mark said.
“We have always loved being the ones to entertain and cook for family and friends, catered a few weddings and such. Everyone always told us we should open a restaurant…so we did,” Mark stated.
“We envisioned creating a comfortable outdoor atmosphere where family and friends could gather,” Mark says. “A place where there are no strangers…just friends you have not met yet.”
On the couple’s first visit to look at the potential site of their new business venture, Tammy commented, “I love this place. It’s near the Gulf in the middle of nowhere.”
The “Nowhere” name stuck, and has since grown a life of its own, as the couple opened Nowhere Grille on Beach Road (CR 361) Dec. 21, 2019.
Tammy cooked up a huge pot of chili that first night and gave it out free to those who stopped by for a quiet soft opening.
“We were overwhelmed with the number of people who showed up and really appreciated all of the friends and family that came out to support us,” Tammy said.
“It was something we both had been looking forward to for years,” Mark said. “We wanted a location that stood out from the rest and found an area where we could become the place to go for locals, and we certainly did.”
Acknowledging that they have been embraced by the local community, Mark and Tammy Lynn are constantly looking for opportunities to pay it forward.
“We have had so much fun giving back to this community, which has welcomed us and made us feel like part of their family. Our Halloween Trunk or Treat and Thanksgiving events were among our favorites this past year,” Tammy said.
“Donating back and adopting families for Christmas in these uncertain times is one of the most emotional memories for us this past year, because if it had not been for this community, we might not have made it through when we could offer only ‘to-go’ service after Florida closed down restaurants during the COVID-19 restaurant closure,” the couple said.
“Whether you call it paying back or paying it forward, those that we were able to help during that time gave us more of a gift than they will ever know,” he said.
In a perfect illustration of paying it forward, Mark recalls having a flat tire while pulling his trailer about nine miles from the restaurant just a few days before opening.
“Before I could get my jack out, several guys pulled over, had my trailer jacked up and the tire off and changed in just a few minutes. I love making friends in a small town. The funny thing was, I never told them who I was, but they asked me if we needed any help getting open,” Mark laughed.
In the year since, the restaurant located “in the middle of nowhere” has been able to return the favor, helping a pair of stranded motorists change a flat tire in the parking lot – and gaining some loyal customers in the process.
“True story, these folks were traveling through on their way back to Tallahassee, I believe, and had a blow out in front of the grille, so we went out and changed the tire for them,” Mark said.
“Now we see them at least once a month for lunch. That’s the kind of stuff right there that we are so grateful for,” he added.
In addition to a full food and drink menu and nightly specials, Nowhere Grille offers live concerts and weekly live music.
The venue has hosted several motorcycle groups, some visiting from as far away as Georgia, as well as antique car shows and special gatherings of the local Red Hat Society.
The couple say none of this would be possible without the teamwork and customer service displayed by their wonderful staff.
“They truly complete the picture,” Mark and Tammy added.
“As we celebrated our one-year anniversary, it’s amazing how many great people we’ve had the pleasure to meet and spend time with in such a short length of time. It is to the point now that we find ourselves checking in on them if we don’t see someone we normally do,” Mark said.
“We are excited about 2021 — including the events we are bringing back and the new ones we are planning,” Tammy said. “We try to do something for every holiday. There are several local businesses, groups and individuals who are always ready to help when we want to sponsor a charitable event, especially Spunky Sparrow, Amy Cope Southern Properties Realty, Ragan’s Ace Hardware, Bryson Tractor, Pink Box Bakery, Dorman’s Pest Control, Shamrock Realty, Sweet Thangs Sweet Treats and Gilmer Industries.”
“The community as a whole has made us very welcome, and a large number of them have now become close friends,” Mark said.
Like ghosts of old sailors caught somewhere in time,
Like a lone palm that’s watched the world unwind,
I got nowhere to go and nowhere to be.
There’s jerk chicken grilling on the grill,
Sure feels good for some time to be still,
Even if its only for a little while,
The sight of those sails in the wind make me smile,
When I got nowhere to go and nowhere to be.
“Nowhere to Go, Nowhere to Be,” Kenny Chesney (2008).