nervous system. While doctors told the family Joey wouldn’t live
past age 12, he deed the odds and lived until he was 32. His
was the longest known case, according to his brothers, who
named their restaurant after him. Joey’s photos, including those
of Joey playing hockey, a sport he was passionate about, grace
the walls of all the Joey D’s restaurants.
Tommy, also passionate about hockey, played goalie, and in
the late 1980s, the family moved to Minneapolis, M for hockey.
Tommy was state champion in Minnesota, and national champion
in the United States Hockey League for the orth Iowa Huskies.
He played in Canada in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League
for the Flin-Flon Bombers, and he played college hockey for a
bit in Canada with Brandon University.
“I dabbled in the minors for a few years in the ECHL with the Winston
Salem Thunderbirds and the Wheeling Thunderbirds, some stops in
ashville and the orth Dakota league,” Tommy said. “We pursued
the restaurant business because my hockey career was done, and
my brother Bobby had experience in the business. We wanted to
take a taste of Chicago and bring it to Minneapolis.”
So, in 199 in Minneapolis, Tommy and Bobby opened the rst
Joey D’s Chicago Style Eatery & Pizzeria. But after 10 years there,
tired of the cold and snow, the brothers sold the business and
brought their authentic Chicago restaurant concept to Bradenton.
Today, their restaurant is housed at 601 Manatee Ave. W.
In December 2013, the Dennis brothers opened their second
year later, they opened