Pat and Johnny Galvin acquired the current building of Catfish Johnny’s in 1990 with the dream of bringing a family friendly restaurant to Lake Panasoffkee. They opened in November of 1990 serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Our original menus were written on paper bags with the daily specials paper clipped under the flap of the bag. (These original menus are currently on display in the dining room for you to take a peek at a little bit of Catfish Johnny history.)
In 1995, the “Party Barn” was built which added 1500 square feet to the building. This was Johnny’s dream to have a place where music could be played and people could come and enjoy it. For 28 years, every Tuesday, Johnny would hold his “Tuesday Jams” where people would come from all over to join in on the music. Unfortunately, in March of 2020, the Tuesday Jams came to an end when COVID hit our state and local community. Later that year, when Johnny became ill, the Jams never did get a chance to start back up.
In addition to the Jams, many themed parties have been held in the Party Barn over the last 28 years including a Wild Wild West music show (where Johnny was the Sheriff), a Hawaiian Luau, several costumed Halloween parties (including the year Pat and Johnny dressed as Beauty and the Beast), Saturday Night Karaoke, many New Year’s Eve parties, numerous baby showers, bridal showers, birthday parties, graduation parties, anniversary parties, tea parties and even a few weddings.
From 1995 to 2000, Pat and Johnny also had a zoo next door to the restaurant. This zoo was the home of “Ole’ Amos”, the alligator Johnny hatched from an egg in August of 1960. Ole’ Amos was famous for visiting schools all over the state telling kids to “Say Nope to Dope”. Johnny would entertain the kids by brushing Amos’ teeth, talking about alligator safety and encouraging the kids to resist drugs. Amos retired from his school visits in 1995 and found his home in the Catfish Johnny’s Zoo. He was joined by two other alligators, Radar and Revenge, a crocodile named Sonny, a Florida Panther named Casey, a Black Bear named Mandy, several turtles, snakes, raccoons, goats and an otter. All of these animals were unable to live in the wild since they had either been rehabilitated and unable to return for their own safety or had been an unwanted pet. Johnny loved animals and wanted to see them all live a long and healthy life. Unfortunately, Johnny had a serious health problem in 2008 and after brain surgery in 2009 he lost most of his sight. At that time, the animals were relocated to new homes to be cared for. Last we heard, Ole’ Amos is still alive and actually was a social media viral video star just a few years ago.
In October of 2020, an electrical spark caught the dining room on fire on a Saturday night with the restaurant full of customers. Fortunately, everyone was evacuated safely and the fire department was able to put out the fire before damaging the entire building. This was a sad night as we sat and watched smoke pouring out of the roof while Johnny sat in a chair right outside refusing to leave his beloved restaurant. The restaurant was only shutdown for 4 weeks before opening back up new and improved!
Johnny was normally found sitting at “his table” working on a crossword puzzle and drinking his coffee. He loved to walk through the dining room visiting with customers, normally stopping to sit and chat with friends. After Johnny lost his sight in 2009 and his health began to fail, he was not seen at the restaurant as much as before. But he still would make it occasionally to the restaurant to sit at his table and enjoy visits from customers who would stop by his table to say “hi”. Johnny passed away in 2021 after a fierce battle with leukemia. He is truly missed! If you happen to be lucky, you may be seated at “his table” at the restaurant which has been memorialized with his pictures. If you happen to get a chance to sit there, feel honored knowing you are enjoying your meal at Catfish’s table.
Pat is normally seen behind the counter ringing out customers on the cash register, making drinks, answering the phone or seating customers. She has been “hands on” since the day the doors opened and continues to this day. She is a busy little bee buzzing around the restaurant handling whatever needs to be done. She is truly our Queen Bee!
As you look around the restaurant, you will see pictures of people who have been a part of Catfish Johnny’s through the years. There are lots of memories on those walls. Also if you have a chance to stop by the back room of the restaurant, you will see a lot of famous faces that Johnny had the opportunity to meet through his years playing music.
Many of Pat and Johnny’s children and grandchildren have been raised in the restaurant and gone on to work serving, clearing tables, washing dishes, and cashing out customers. It’s definitely been and continues to be a family affair!
Catfish Johnny’s continues to evolve and change but keeping with our traditions. Stay tuned for what we have planned for the future!