A Villages couple has debuted a new restaurant at the former home of TooJay’s Gourmet Deli in The Villages.

The Farmshed American Diner has opened its doors at Spanish Springs Town Square and is being operated by Carlo and Nicole Bellusci, residents of the Village of Buttonwood.

The Farmshed restaurant at Spanish Springs Town Square
The Farmshed American Diner restaurant at Spanish Springs Town Square.

The TooJay’s restaurant at that location for many years closed in September. The shutdown followed the chain’s bankruptcy filing in April 2020 amid the COVID-19 crisis.

Farmshed offers some down-home favorites such as ‘Bama Fried Chicken, Bayou Country Shrimp ’N Fries and Farmer’s Daughter Mac & Cheese. There is also an assortment of burgers on the menu, including lamb burgers, the Double Trouble Bacon Benny Burger and the Big Griddled Cheese burger. Sides on the menu include Grandma’s Slow Roasted Potatoes, Grandma’s Slow Roasted Cauliflower, collard greens and bacon, and braised cabbage and pork.

The Farmshed resturant at Spanish Springs offers outdoor seating
The Farmshed American Diner restaurant at Spanish Springs offers outdoor seating.

The restaurant’s hours are from 11:30 a.m. from 9 p.m. and the owners have apparently opted to forfeit the breakfast clientele, which had been pretty loyal at TooJay’s.

TooJay’s continues to operate restaurants at Lake Sumter Landing and Brownwood.