Jack Sheppard began his South Howard business career with Howard Avenue Garage at 515 South Howard in 1926. His business offered standard car service, wrecker service, and had room to store 350 cars. The business later moved to 1216 S Howard, now the location of Bern’s Steakhouse parking lot. Sheppard was also a car race enthusiast and promoter and raced at the South Florida Fair (now the Florida State Fair). He built his own race car, a 16-valve Fronty Special, and raced at tracks around the country. By most accounts, he had a successful racing career through the early 1930s, and his strong suit was in race promotions for the fair.

In 1935, he moved his operation two blocks south to 1407 South Howard when he purchased the Park View Garage, and by the middle 1940s opened his supermarket there. Being an experienced promoter, Sheppard knew how to draw crowds. On Saturday mornings, he sponsored his own radio hour on WDAE, the largest station in the city. Broadcasting directly from his store, he had cowboy bands with names like Bud’s Backaroos on the program. In 1948 he converted this store into Jack Sheppard’s Bowling Center, a 10-lane bowling alley that sponsored leagues for several years. In 1953, he started a new venture, opening Import Motors on the second floor of the bowling alley and later moving the dealership downstairs. In 1975, Sheppard sold out to Dave Heinz Imports and moved to Texas. He died there at the age of 86. In 1986, Hoffman Associates transformed the structure into The SoHo building. Bella’s Pasta and Pizza was the anchor tenant. The spot of Sheppard’s old store is now a parking lot.

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