Local Thrill Seeker’s Passion Is Volunteering

Edwin Rodriguez

For more than 30 years, Edwin Rodriguez has made the long commute to work in Clearwater every day from his home in Wesley Chapel.

But, for the past six years, he has been breaking up his Tuesday drive home with a stop at the Florida Aquarium in downtown Tampa.

There, he dons scuba gear and spends several hours cleaning the tanks. Rodriguez has racked up more than 640 hours of volunteering in that role, and others, at the aquarium.

For example, he says it makes him jump out of bed with a smile when there’s a special occasion.

“My favorite is Halloween,” he says. “Every year, I dress up like Spider-Man underwater, and the kids go nuts.  Just imagine me crawling on the glass like a spider. The looks on the kids’ faces are just priceless.”

Edwin also volunteers to help clean Tampa Bay, especially after large events like the Gasparilla parade. 

“We dive to clean the beads that end up in the water,” he says. “And not only beads. Last time we went, we got a couple of those scooters that people ride around town — all kinds of garbage that you wouldn’t even believe.”

Edwin started scuba diving in 1986 in his native Puerto Rico. He moved to Florida in 1988, and then discovered skydiving.

“At that point, I put my scuba gear away,” he says. When he suffered an injury not related to skydiving, Ruth, his wife of 21 years, told him it was time to find something different.

Edwin’s favorite time of the year is Halloween.

He agreed, on one condition. He needed to keep the adrenaline pumping, so they tried new adventures together. They started riding ATVs, and then jet skis.

“My wife said she’d like to try scuba diving,” explains Edwin, “and immediately, my passion for it came back.”

Wanting to spend more time underwater, he found out he could dive as a volunteer at the Florida Aquarium. 

“Once I started, I began to understand the mission and vision of the aquarium,” he says. “When I started, my reason for volunteering was selfishly wanting to dive more, but now, I see the big picture. The aquarium’s work to restore the planet has deeply impacted me.”

“Every time I brush a coral (which you have to be properly trained to do), I realize I’m making an impact,” he says. “I’m making it more clean and safe for the animals, and helping the aquarium to be able to bring more people in, plus everything they do to help the planet that people don’t see.”

The process to become an aquarium volunteer is rigorous, and not everyone who wants to help is chosen to do so. Edwin explains that he first filled out an application, then attended a seminar to understand expectations, and completed a required medical test.

He then had to pass a swim test. He says that treading water for 10 minutes and demonstrating his scuba skills was no problem, but even after training, the now-55-year-old says it was difficult for him to swim the required number of meters in the time allotted. After that, he studied for and passed an online test, then started training, including learning how to properly dive in an aquarium.

He says it was all worth it, as he enjoys helping the aquarium, its animals and many visitors, including his six-year-old grandson. “He’s everything to me,” Edwin says. “He loves to go to the aquarium and would go every day if we would let him.”

Edwin was recently recognized at the Florida Aquarium’s annual appreciation event with its annual Outstanding Service Award.

“I don’t see me stopping anytime soon,” he says. “I want to retire from work when I turn 60 and I will have time available, so I want to use more of that time at the aquarium. If I get to the point where I can’t scuba dive, there are plenty of other things to do at the aquarium.” 

Kids ‘R’ Kids Of Meadow Pointe Continued Serving Families Despite Covid

Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academy of Meadow Pointe, for children ages six weeks to 12 years, offers both full- and part-time care, and before- and after-school care, including drop-off and pick-up service to and from four local schools. (Photos: Charmaine George).

Right before Spring Break last year, the Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academy of Meadow Pointe had 264 students enrolled. With new owner Payel Dutt and director Roxanne Jeffcoat, the school — a licensed childcare facility for children ages six weeks to 12 years — was thriving.

Then, all of a sudden, everything changed. 

As the Covid crisis began and people were told to stay home, public schools closed, and many families pulled their kids out of daycare.

“By the end of March in 2020,” says Payel, “we had 12 kids enrolled.”

However, Payel and Roxanne were determined to keep the doors open for those 12 kids, who were from families of front-line workers.

One such family was the Johnsons, who live in New Tampa. Julie is a nurse and her husband, Desmond, is a nurse anesthetist. Their daughters, Kyah (now 5) and Kenna (now 3), attend Kids ‘R’ Kids.

“We have no family here,” explains Julie, “so daycare is our only option. We were very concerned about what we were going to do. So many centers closed.”

But, Kids ‘R’ Kids didn’t. That’s what Payel says her school is all about — connecting with families and serving the community, while doing what’s best for kids.

“It’s about being here for our children and their parents,” says Payel. “We still paid our teachers. We tried to make sure we were here keeping kids safe.”

Over time, as the crisis has waned and families’ needs have changed, the children have started to come back. Many new families have joined the school community, too. The center is growing again, as it is now back up to more than 150 students.

New Ownership

Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academy of Meadow Pointe first opened at its County Line Rd. and Mansfield Blvd. location in 2006. When the original owner retired in August 2019, Payel and her husband, Prabir Das, purchased the local franchise, which has more than 170 locations across the United States.

Kids ‘R’ Kids director Roxanne Jeffcoat (left) and owner Payel Dutt are ready to care for your children like their own. They offer in-person tours of the facility after hours.

Payel’s previous career was as a financial analyst, but she wanted to own her own business. As a mom of two kids, now 8 and 12, she says she is passionate about helping families who need daycare and wanted to use her experience to be hands-on in running her new business. 

The following January, in 2020, they hired Roxanne, who has 30 years of experience in childcare. Roxanne lives in Wesley Chapel, where she started working at a small school which her kids — now 29, 27, and 25 — attended. She continued her career, becoming licensed by the State of Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) as a Director about seven years ago.

“She is awesome,” says Payel. “We go hand in hand.”

The respect is clearly mutual, as Roxanne says about Payel, “Most owners don’t do the things I’ve seen her do. She’s here every day, and that’s a real big motivator for the staff. We’re not asking anyone to do anything that we’re not doing ourselves.”

In fact, Payel used the slower times of the pandemic to also get credentialed as a Director by DCF, so that she can better understand all the nuances of the day-to-day operations of running a school.

Payel and Roxanne emphasize that while they are part of a large franchise, which can sometimes get a bad rap, the school is there for one main purpose — to serve the local community.

“We’re very family oriented,” says Roxanne. “And we’re all about the kids.”

Curriculum/STEAM

One benefit of being part of a franchise is the school’s exclusive curriculum, with learning methods supported by leading educational theories. Its Brain Waves curriculum is designed to stimulate brain development during the most critical years.

Kids of all ages use learning stations, math manipulatives, science elements and stimulating visuals, with lots of hands-on learning and Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (aka “STEAM”) activities. In fact, Kids ‘R’ Kids has a dedicated STEAM teacher who leads the students in activities such as making thermometers, kinetic sand, storm in a jar, snow globes, slime and crystals.

Last fall, with restrictions in place that prevented students from going on field trips, the staff came up with the idea to set up a dramatic play area featuring a campground. The teachers lined the classroom walls with black paper and stars to look like a night sky, then the kids helped fill in the space by making trees, a bonfire, sticks with marshmallows, and a pond complete with fish and lily pads.

“The kids did story time in there, and pretended they were camping,” Roxanne explains. “They went into caves and read stories. It was quite an adventure.”

Full-Time, After-School Care & More 

Kids ‘R’ Kids of Meadow Pointe offers flexible scheduling to help families with their child-care needs for its young attendees. 

The center is open weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., offering both full- and part-time care, and before- and after-school care, including drop-off and pick-up for four local schools. Payel and Roxanne emphasize that they are here for families. Let them know what your family needs, and they will work to accommodate you.

For school-age children, care is available during days off from school, and Kids ‘R’ Kids currently is enrolling students for summer camps.

While last year’s summer camps could not have field trips, the camps are designed to be fun and engaging, with lots of indoor and outdoor activities, which include a very large outdoor play area, jungle gym, basketball court and bicycle path. The kids do chalk paint, bubbles, parachute, jump rope, and even have water days with balloons and foam sprayers.

The school has a full kitchen serving hot breakfasts and lunches, rotating kid-friendly meals prepared by a professional chef, always carefully served, being mindful of allergies.

Partnerships With Parents

At Kids ‘R’ Kids of Meadow Pointe, it’s a priority for teachers and parents to collaborate with each other for the betterment of the children. “We are very transparent with parents,” says Payel. “We ensure parents are informed about their child.” 

Payel says that she and Roxanne and all the teachers communicate with parents about what their kids do each day, what they are learning, and are always happy to answer questions. Conferences also are scheduled.

They also have cameras in the classrooms, so parents can have access to view their children at any time during the day. Private logins and passwords are provided.

Covid Precautions

The school has several precautions in place to keep kids safe, such as a station where everyone washes their hands as they come in, and temperature checks at the door. Staff and teachers wear masks at all times. And, while the school always has been sanitized and disinfected several times throughout the day, Payel says those procedures have been enhanced.

Kids ‘R’ Kids of Meadow Pointe also does not currently allow any third parties in the building. So, classes such as robotics that used to come in to the school are currently paused. Payel and Roxanne now give tours to prospective families at the end of the day, when all of the children have left the building. 

“We appreciate all the extra steps,” says Julie Johnson. “It’s an adjustment to drop the kids at the door rather than going in every day and talking with the teachers, but I’ve been very grateful for them to stay open and all the extra steps they went through to make it a safe environment for everybody.”

She says the care that Payel, Roxanne and the teachers offer is evident, and families at Kids ‘R’ Kids of Meadow Pointe are very happy with their choice.

“I absolutely recommend it,” says Julie. “With my oldest being in VPK, I’m hypersensitive to whether she’s going to be prepared for school and where she’s at compared with other kids. I’m very happy with the education my kids are getting.”

The Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academy of Meadow Pointe is located at 1540 Mansfield Blvd. at the corner of County Line Rd. For more information, call (813) 994-4525, or visit KidsRKidsMeadowPointe.com.

AllergyTampa.com Provides Old-Fashioned Care & Cutting-Edge Research

The doctors of AllergyTampa.com include (left to right) Dr. Amber Pepper, Dr. Richard Lockey, Dr. Mark Glaum and Dr. Seong Cho. In addition to seeing patients, all four also participate in clinical research and teach at the University of South Florida.

When Richard Lockey, M.D., founded his allergy and immunology practice in 1984, he brought in and trained Roger Fox, M.D., and Dennis Ledford, M.D.

While Dr. Fox and Dr. Ledford have both recently retired, Dr. Lockey has no plans to slow down. He has always struck a balance between old-fashioned good practices and cutting-edge technology.

“I have no plans to retire,” Dr. Lockey says. “I like medicine, and I like what I do.”

And, while a new generation of doctors comes up behind him, his practice continues to move forward and grow, with Drs. Glaum, Cho and Pepper, all of whom have been part of the practice for several years.

The doctors are a team of Board-certified allergists and immunologists found online at AllergyTampa.com. They treat patients in private practice and also conduct research at the University of South Florida (USF) Division of Allergy & Immunology Clinical Research Unit (CRU). The private practice office and CRU make up the top floor of a medical building near the corner of Fletcher Ave. and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd, just south of New Tampa.

“We all want to be in academics to push the window forward,” says Dr. Lockey, who says he has written 800 papers and 50 books. “We want to be innovative and learn, and participate in studies.”

He says that there’s nothing wrong with a doctor who chooses only to focus on seeing patients, but that physicians join his team because they want more than that.

“We also want to do academic research and teaching,” he says. “All of the doctors here are fantastically excellent at that.”

Drs. Lockey, Glaum, Cho and Pepper manage a variety of disorders related to allergies, asthma and immunology, including food allergies, rhinitis (inflammation and swelling of the mucous membrane of the nose, often referred to as hay fever), cough, laryngitis, headaches and immune disorders. These specialists also treat allergic reactions and immune responses resulting in rashes and dermatitis.

As members of the USF Division of Allergy & Immunology, they meet weekly via conference call with about 30 members of the division, all of whom are experts in their field.

“We all have our areas of specialty and interest,” Dr. Lockey explains. “That’s what makes us so powerful.”

For example, he says, Amber Pepper, M.D., is an expert on food allergies. All the physicians within the division know to call on her when they have questions about their patients struggling with food allergies. 

“It’s shared knowledge,” Dr. Lockey says, “Know what you know, know what you don’t know, and know who to know. That’s the secret to being a good doctor.”

Decades Of Quality Care

Dr. Lockey says that the practice of medicine has changed over the past several decades, and that’s not always a good thing. While the doctors in his practice are committed to research that keeps them on the cutting edge of advancement in their field, they also adhere to some old-fashioned techniques that are forgotten at some other practices.

“I always take a new patient’s history and do a physical,” explains Dr. Lockey. He gets frustrated to hear that patients are shuffled from doctor to doctor, being given a test and then referred to the next doctor.

Dr. Richard Lockey, shown here with patient Sadie Hurley & her mother Belinda, has been one of the top allergy specialists in the Tampa Bay area for more than two decades, by caring for the whole person, not just the allergy symptoms of his patients, at his office in Tampa. (Photos: Charmaine George)

He says that there are some conditions that can only be diagnosed through spending time talking with a patient.

He says it’s a problem within his specialty that physicians aren’t paid for their time, but for procedures they perform. As a result, they often order a test and move on, when what a patient really needs is someone to listen to them.

When Dr. Lockey trains physicians, he says he always tells them to treat patients like they are their own next of kin. 

“If it was your mother, father, sister, brother, son or daughter,” he says, “what would you do?”

Covid Repercussions

He also says that there have been repercussions of Covid-19 that many people don’t realize. 

“Covid has caused so much anxiety and upheaval,” he says. “There’s been a lot of weight gain, and patients delaying seeing their doctors.”

In fact, some of Dr. Lockey’s patients were so fearful, they wouldn’t come in to see him. One had pneumonia and died from that, rather than from Covid.

Dr. Lockey says he protects himself by wearing a mask, but never considered not working, even though many people told him he was at-risk and shouldn’t see patients. 

“I was more scared in the 1980s when we were dealing with HIV patients,” he says. “As immunologists, we set up a clinic. We were afraid because we didn’t know how (HIV) was transmitted and it was universally deadly. If you survived during the first 10 years, it was an enigma. We thought it was viral, and knew it was sexually transmitted, but we didn’t know if it was transmitted other ways, too.”

Dr. Lockey

He says he treated patients and worked to advance medicine through research despite the risks, and will continue to do so.

“As long as I am physically and mentally capable, I will practice medicine,” he says. “We’re doctors. That’s what we do.”

About The Doctors…

Richard Lockey, M.D., founded the practice in 1984 as Academic Associates in Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. He earned his Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree from the Temple University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Lockey served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War, then subsequently joined the faculty of the USF (now the Morsani) College of Medicine as a Professor of Medicine. He currently is the director of USF’s Division of Allergy & Immunology. He also volunteers at the James A. Haley Veterans (VA) Hospital, where he was previously Chief of Allergy & Immunology. Dr. Lockey also has served as president of the World Allergy Organization and is a past president of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI), of which all of the practice’s specialists are members.

Mark Glaum, M.D., Ph.D., earned his M.D. at Hahnemann University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA. He completed a fellowship in allergy and clinical immunology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, also in Philadelphia. His areas of interest include how the body responds to substances that cause allergic reactions and advancing diagnostic techniques, such as rhinoscopies (examining nasal passages with specialized instruments).

Seong Cho, M.D., received his M.D. degree as an otolaryngologist — an ear, nose and throat doctor — from Kyung Hee University School of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea. His allergy and immunology training was completed at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, IL.

Amber Pepper, M.D., joined the practice in 2018. Dr. Pepper earned her M.D. from USF in 2013, then completed her residency in internal medicine in 2016 also at USF, where she was in a once-weekly rotation at the practice. She then completed a fellowship at the practice through USF’s Division of Allergy & Immunology. 

To learn more about Drs. Lockey, Glaum, Cho and Pepper, visit AllergyTampa.com or call (813) 971-9743. The office is located at 13801 BBD Blvd., Ste. 502, Tampa 33613.

Corbett Prep-IDS Offers Unique Indoor/Outdoor Learning & Camps

On a recent spring day at Corbett Preparatory School of IDS (Independent Day School; also known as Corbett Prep), a team of seventh grade students set out in a canoe with the day’s science lesson — to find the depth and investigate the water quality of the lake on which they were paddling.

Since the campus is on the edge of Lake Lipsey, it affords students unique opportunities for all kinds of outdoor learning, and the school’s teachers and administrators take advantage of them.

In fact, Corbett Prep’s campus became a huge benefit as the school faced numerous challenges because of the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, the school’s extensive outdoor space, where children already were regularly learning and playing, became even more popular as a classroom.

“We’re fortunate to be on a stunning campus surrounded by nature,” explains Head of School Nick Rodriguez. “Our classrooms are like separate, beautiful little houses.”

Nick says that this helps keep students separated into their own groups, as well as socially distant. 

The campus, located south of W. Fletcher Ave. in Carrollwood, is home to more than 500 students in all grades from 3-year-olds in pre-kindergarten through the eighth grade. The middle school campus, where each of the three grades has about 60 students, is across Orange Grove Dr. from the younger grades.

“Our middle school students get a sense of their own campus, but also the leadership opportunities of coming over to the elementary school,” Nick says.

Last fall, the year started with more than 100 students choosing remote learning, with teachers providing instruction simultaneously to classes both in person and online. 

“As we’ve proved we can keep our campus safe and our protocols are working, we continue to get students back,” Nick explains. “Now about 20 are (still) remote, but the rest are on campus.”

He says he understands parents’ concerns, because their highest priority is their children, both their education and their safety.

He says Corbett Prep has always maintained a clean, beautiful campus, but steps were taken this year to be even safer during the pandemic. For example, additional sinks and sanitation stations were installed, plexiglass barriers have been added in classrooms, and the administration team focused on scheduling and transition time to minimize interactions between groups.

“At the end of this year we will be stronger than we’ve ever been,” explains Nick. “We’ve added an entirely new skill set to our platform.”

He says this includes online communication, such as software that kids use at home to check homework, and teachers increasing their skills and technology usage.

He also says that this year has given them even more opportunities to think creatively, which is a strong suit at Corbett Prep.

“Learning happens everywhere and it’s all tied together,” he explains. As an example, in order to get kids outside more this year, the eighth graders were given the opportunity to design a mural. “It turned into a full course where they had to plan, measure, design letters and spacing, use geometry, and choose paint colors.”

Nick explains that Corbett Prep is an International Baccalaureate (IB) school with creativity at its heart. 

“It really makes you proud to see kids who are creative and engaged,” he says. “We want to create ‘wow’ lessons for our students as often as possible to keep them active in their learning.”

He says he is proud that Corbett Prep students get out of the car smiling in the morning, excited to go to school, and he wants parents to understand that can be their kids, too, “when your children are with the right teachers in the right curriculum, at a school like ours.” He adds that having multiple teachers in classrooms ensures that students find those “right teachers” for them.

Connected To New Tampa

Kids from all over the Tampa Bay area attend Corbett Prep, and bus service is available from New Tampa and Wesley Chapel.

Martha and Carlton Fleming live in Grand Hampton. Their daughters, Layla and Naomi, both started at the school as three year olds. Layla is now in high school and Naomi is finishing her eighth grade year.

Back when their girls were little, Martha says they first fell in love with the outdoor environment, then the curriculum and the way Corbett Prep engages the students in hands-on learning. Even today, she says Layla and Naomi still sometimes talk about their favorite learning experiences, such as “Senses Day,” where students immerse their senses outdoors (by jumping in a tub of oatmeal, for example) or “Living Thanksgiving,” where they engage in activities the Pilgrims would have, such as making their own candles.

“At Corbett, they are building confident students,” explains Martha. “They set up many little successes that build confident kids.”

Doing science projects outdoors is one of the unique, and scenic, perks of attending Corbett Preparatory School Independent Day School (IDS) in Carrollwood – also known as Corbett Prep. 

She says one of the main reasons her family moved to Grand Hampton was the area’s A-rated public schools, but their girls had such a phenomenal preschool experience at Corbett Prep that they didn’t want to move them.

“Corbett has helped our girls become very well rounded, in every sense,” says Carlton. “The girls are doing well academically, but there’s something else that our girls have gotten out of that experience. I think Corbett has this trifecta of very strong education, but they also value athletics and the arts.”

He also praises the compassion his girls developed during their time at the school. 

Martha adds, “They build the social emotional awareness in terms of being connected with their own internal feelings and how that is projecting outward and affecting others.”

She says as she speaks with friends and observes students in other schools, “we realize the uniqueness of what our daughters have had, and we have learned to appreciate that so much more now that they’re teenagers,” explains Martha. “It’s a process you invest in, but I feel like we’ve seen the fruits of it.”

Summer Camps

Learning takes place on the campus year-round, and the summer offers a unique opportunity for students to enjoy all that Corbett Prep has to offer, whether or not they attend school there.

“Most summers we have about 1,000 different students on campus for summer camps,” explains Nick, “but last year, with Covid, we still had about 700.”

He says they offer morning, afternoon and full-day camps, featuring everything from academics, to nature, to the arts.

“It’s a big undertaking for our school,” he explains, saying that all Camp IDS camps are led by highly qualified, trained educators.

More information about summer camps is available on the school’s website at CorbettPrep.com, then click on the “Camp IDS” tab at the top of the page.

History

Nick Rodriguez was named Head of School in July 2020, taking over from Dr. Joyce Swarzman, who led the school for more than two decades and has transitioned into a training and initiatives role.

Nick first came to Corbett Prep more than a decade ago for a fellowship program, then went on to lead other Bay-area schools. He says his immense respect for Dr. Swarzman was among the reasons he joined the school. “It was not in the plan for me to come back,” he says, “but I couldn’t say ‘yes’ quick enough.”

Corbett Prep’s administrative team works together at one of the school’s many beautiful outdoor areas. (L.-r.) Associate Head of School Michael Johnson; Head of School Nicholas B. Rodriguez; President of Initiatives & Training Dr. Joyce Burick Swarzman, and Middle School Division Leader Jennifer Jagdmann.

“Dr. Swarzman’s background in education and where she’s taken our school is unmatched,” Nick says, “and I’m so fortunate to be following her and teaming and partnering with her through this crazy year.” 

Not only is Nick the school’s head, but he’s also a parent. His daughter, Sloane, is an elementary school student at Corbett Prep.

The Independent Day School was started in 1968 by Marilyn Gatlin and Betty Anderson, who wanted to create a school where every child’s gifts and talents could be identified and encouraged. Nearly a decade ago, the school was renamed Corbett Prep at IDS.

“The Corbett family is incredibly generous to the entire Tampa Bay area and has supported our initiatives for 40 years,” says Nick.

He adds that he’s very proud of the school’s more than 50 years of history, and excited to continue its legacy in the community.

Now Is The Time To Enroll

While traditional open houses and big campus tours are not currently available, families are still welcome to visit the Corbett Prep campus.

Enrollment for the 2021-22 school year is under way, and Nick says that, within the next few weeks, some grade levels already will have waiting lists.

Nick says he encourages families to take a tour, because parents know a school is right for their child, “when you see their faces light up as they step onto the campus.”

Corbett Preparatory School of IDS is located at 12015 Orange Grove Dr. in Tampa. For more information, visit CorbettPrep.com or call (813) 961-3087.

Noire Nail Bar Offers Peaceful Luxury & Safe Services

Walking into Noire Nail Bar, located just across S.R. 56 from Tampa Premium Outlets (near Mellow Mushroom), you immediately notice the quiet and relaxing ambiance and the lack of bustle. The serene, upscale décor (photo) is impressive.

John Nguyen, who owns Noire Nail Bar with his wife Vanessa, says the salon’s look and feel are intentional to cultivate a calm atmosphere.

“People come here to relax, because it’s very quiet,” John says. “Most salons are noisy and crowded, but Noire is peaceful and still.”

John and Vanessa opened Noire in 2018 and will celebrate three years in business later this year.

He says while Noire had to close temporarily during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic (as did every salon), when it re-opened in May, clients eagerly returned. 

“They feel safe here,” he says. “We wear masks, wash our hands and keep our salon nice and clean.”

While cleanliness has always been a priority at Noire Nail Bar, John says the staff is now even more detailed and spends even more time on cleaning and making sure everything is completely sanitized for each client.

To serve clients safely, Noire asks that the following requirements are met: First, always wear a face cover, wash your hands when you arrive, and try to limit touching surfaces or objects as much as possible. They ask that all guests try to schedule their services during low-volume times, such as weekdays, whenever possible, and that you don’t bring any guests with you who are not receiving services. Finally,John says, please do not come in to Noire Nail Bar if you’re not feeling well.

“Especially with Covid, people want to avoid crowds,” John says. “If we get too busy, we ask people to come back at another time.”

Noire encourages appointments to be sure you’re not turned away.

Once you arrive, John says you will always be thrilled with the services you receive, which may include manicures, pedicures, massages, full sets, dipping powder, nail enhancements, eyelash extensions and waxing services for your face and body.

“We have a good team,” says John. “Our technicians make sure the customers are happy when they leave and they spend time taking care of them. We never rush.”

Lorraine Wiggins lives in Tampa Palms, where she says, “there’s a nail salon on every corner.”

But, she drives past all of them to get to Noire Nail Bar, often bringing her mom and/or her daughters along with her. “Noire has more space, and if we come in together, we can be in a little pod together,” Lorraine explains.

She’s referring to Noire Nail Bar’s separate area for pedicures, where chairs are grouped together. So, if you come in with friends or family, you can enjoy conversations with each other and you’re not spread out in a long line of salon chairs facing manicure stations.

This setup allows small groups privacy and intimacy in their time together.

“I loved finding this place,” Lorraine says. “It’s always so clean. I always get good service, and I love it aesthetically. It’s nice that there are separations between the pedicure chairs and the manicure stations.”

Lorraine owns a travel agency and says she has visited many spas all around the world.

“I recognize the level of luxury that’s offered here,” she says. “You can go to any strip mall and find a nail salon, but I come here because of the sense of calm and relaxation.”

She says that Noire’s prices also are comparable, especially because there are different levels of service to fit virtually every budget.

John explains that the range of different services includes everything from basic manicures and pedicures to Noire Nail Bar’s Signature Spa Pedicure and its unique Special Care Spa.

John says that the Signature Spa Pedicure is the “ultimate treat for your feet,” with a therapeutic lavender rub that exfoliates dry skin while citrus sugar relieves and moisturizes your tired feet. That is followed by an extensive moisturizing lotion massage and a hot towel wrap.

Meeting Your Special Needs

Noire’s Special Care Spa is designed to cater to clients with special needs, such as the elderly and those with diabetes who may have cracked heels, thick calluses, extra thick or ingrown toenails — anything that requires extra time, attention or precautions.

There also are additional services offered, such as hot stone and hot candle wax massages and special prices on manicure and pedicure combos. Prince and Princess manicures and pedicures are available for kids ages 12 and under.

And, Noire Nail Bar always offers its clients a glass of wine, soft drink or water with all services. 

“We have a great selection of colors, and top gel and dipping powder brands like OPI, SNS, DND and Chisel,” John says. 

Noire Nail Bar also offers all of its services for birthday parties, bridal showers and other events. Be sure to call ahead to reserve your time and services in a space just for you and your guests.

Noire Nail Bar offers 10% off all services every Monday through Wednesday, if you use the coupon from the ad on pg. 26 of this issue. A 10% discount also is offered on your birthday, with proper identification proving that it’s your birthday.

Noire Nail Bar is located at 25682 Sierra Center Blvd., Lutz, and is open Mon.-Sat., 9:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m., and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sun. For appointments or for more information, call (813) 536-0161. The ad, with coupon for 10% off every Mon.-Wed., is on page 26 of our upcoming New Tampa issue.