Craft Breweries Bringing A Cool Vibe To Wesley Chapel!

This is just some of the wide selection of craft beers at Florida Avenue Brewing. (Photo: Charmaine George)

The demand for craft beer in Wesley Chapel was already high and now the supply is pouring in.

In the span of a couple of months, not just one, but TWO craft breweries have opened in the ever-changing landscape of Wesley Chapel, one of the fastest-growing communities in the country.

First was Double Branch Artisanal Ales (DBAA), which was all set to open to the public as the pandemic hit, but Covid-19 restrictions had the craft brewery as to-go only until beer enthusiasts were allowed to be inside in late August. Double Branch finally held its official North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbon cutting ceremony Nov. 10, and is now a permanent fixture in the revitalized Grove at Wesley Chapel’s The Village shopping district.

“We do get a lot of people who say they’ve come out this way to try it — those beer seekers,” said Double Branch general manager Sam Guyer, who, along with her husband, Cody, is one of the four owners.

Although it hasn’t even been open for a year yet, at the U.S. Open Beer Championship — one of the top three beer competitions in the country, according to its website — recently awarded DBAA’s Purple Floors & Dinosaurs IPA a gold medal in the New England/Juicy DIPA category. The name also was picked as the No. 2 overall favorite beer name, behind Menace To Sobriety, a New York craft beer.

Meanwhile, Florida Avenue Brewing Co. opened its doors on Oct. 5 (also after some pandemic-related delays), and is just a mere 15 minutes (about five miles) away from DBAA in the former space of Sports + Field on S.R. 56.

After an impressive renovation of that fitness facility, Florida Ave. is now a trendy date night locale that, in just two months time, has already seen more than 17,000 customers walk through its doors.

“What we hear a lot from guests is that they’re so happy there’s some (place to dine and drink) on this side of the (S.R. 56 overpass) and a little away from (Tampa Premium Outlets) because they don’t want to get in their car and wait 30 minutes to go half a mile,” says Florida Avenue co-owner and operator Anthony Derby. “But I also think they’re excited for something new and fun with craft beer.”

DBAA will have a kitchen soon to go with it’s funky variety of IPAs. (Photo: Mike Camunas)

Indeed, there has been a real boom of craft beer breweries throughout the Tampa Bay area, which now boasts more than 70 of them. They have helped make places like Dunedin, Clearwater, St. Petersburg and Seminole Heights in Tampa trendy places to grab a bite and a beer.

In Pasco County, there are now 11 craft breweries, with more on the way.

The influx of malls, stores, businesses and, of course, more residents in Wesley Chapel has raised the demand for more cool drinking destinations. 

Both Guyer and Derby, who is part of the ownership group that also owns Brew Bus in Seminole Heights, say they are only building on the demand for craft beer that has been present in Wesley Chapel for a while.

The original Brass Tap opened in 2008 at The Shops of Wiregrass mall, whetting the appetites of local beer enthusiasts looking for more than just a cold Budweiser in a smoky bar.

Florida Avenue Brewing. (Photo: Charmaine George)

Derby said he has had a number of conversations with Brass Tap owner Jeff Martin, who is as familiar with the local beer scene as anyone.

“I talked to him numerous times when we were planning on picking our location, so I knew there were definitely pockets of craft beer enthusiasts up here in Wesley Chapel,” Derby says.

The growth in Wesley Chapel may lead to more breweries in the future, perhaps mirroring what Seminole Heights has experienced. In that trendy, older neighborhood, many young people began moving in, so new restaurants and bars, especially more craft beer breweries, emerged as places for them to spend their evenings.

When Derby and his partners wanted to create a second location, but with a different brand than their Brew Bus, they took polls from distributors about where the highest concentration of craft beer sales were.

One of the most popular answers? Wesley Chapel.

“My mother-in-law lives across (S.R 56) in the neighborhood, so I was always up here, say, for a Sunday dinner, making me very familiar with the area and, given how the area bloomed, it was a no-brainer,” Derby says. “We’re very excited to be here and even have Double Branch up the road, because what they’re doing there is awesome and why we have collaborated with them already.”

Florida Avenue and DBAA have created a special brew with a nod towards Wesley Chapel locals, or “Chappies.” (Photo: Mike Camunas)

That’s right. Florida Avenue and Double Branch have already put their hoppy heads together and created a special beer just for Wesley Chapel — “Chappie’s Life,” an American-style light lager that’s available at both locations, and honors the growing area that was once a trucker stop down at the end of Bruce B. Downs Blvd. or, as longtime locals called it, “The Road to Nowhere.”

Now, it’s the road to some innovative and tasty craft beers.

“This area does seem to have its charm, right?,” Guyer asked. “I mean, I have obviously heard that it used to just be cows grazing, and now we have all this stuff and — believe it or not — a real-life craft beer scene.”

The 2020 Neighborhood News Reader’s Survey chose The Brass Tap as the best local bar — Florida Avenue opened after the contest began — with DBAA coming in second. Here’s the top 5 vote getters:

(Photo: Charmaine George)

1 — The Brass Tap is more than just this year’s winner of our readers’ Favorite Bar in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel — because it had to stay closed (as all non-restaurant bars in Florida did) much longer than restaurant/bar combos, owner Jeff Martin and his crew have not only survived, but have come back strong after having to endure this year’s Covid-extended bar closure.

Therefore, it’s a true tribute to Jeff and his crew to be named this year’s Favorite Bar in our distribution areas.

2 — Double Branch Artisanal Ales is like a beer laboratory with how often they churn out new flavors and styles, and it’s a fun spot for a cold brew. Try the new Chappie’s Life light lager! When the kitchen opens, look out!

3 — Joe Whiskey’s is no longer a smoking bar and that may have something to do with this year’s best-ever finish in our Reader Survey. Smokers still have an outdoor patio and non-smokers can now enjoy karaoke four nights a week.

4 — The Basement on Wesley Chapel Blvd. in Lutz also had its best-ever finish in this year’s survey, but the last we heard was that it is not going to re-open. We agree with the readers who voted for it about its cool vibe, so it’s a sad loss.

5 — Linksters isn’t trendy or hip, and that’s not a bad thing, it’s a great thing. It’s a small bar with friendly staff, a pool table, jukebox and cold beer while you catch a game on TV. Perfect!

The Next 8, in order of votes: The Bar, Chapel Cigars, Fat Rabbit, Glory Days, O’Briens, Peabody’s, Mulligans, Stonewood Grill.

American Wood Flooring Offers New Looks For Old Floors

American Wood Flooring owner/CEO Andy Dunning says he has been even busier than usual this year, as many local residents have been turning to his store (located on BBD, just north of the county line) for remodeling during the pandemic. (Photos: Mike Camunas)

There’s a little tidbit about Andy Dunning that will leave you floored.

“Oh, I’ve probably worked on the floors of nearly every house right in this area,” says the owner and CEO of American Wood Flooring, a fixture on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in Wesley Chapel (just north of the county line) for more than a dozen years. 

Dunning says he has added a few more homes during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“With more people home, either just in general because of Covid or because they’re working from home for the foreseeable future, lots of them are spending money they would use on, say, a vacation they can’t go on,” says Dunning. “They are re-doing the floors in their homes that they might have been putting off.”

It sounds like this may be a good time for an upgrade, and something many homeowners have picked up on. And, that is the silver lining of the pandemic for American Wood Flooring. “Despite all that’s happened this year,” Dunning says, “it’s been a record year for us.”

While styles change from year to year, Dunning says LVP, or Luxury Vinyl Plank flooring, has been the most popular choice in 2020: “The resiliency and different looks of LVPs have just taken over everything.”

One big reason — in a state where it rains nearly all year, this type of flooring is 100-percent waterproof.

“Kind of a necessity around here, don’t you think?,” Dunning asks.

In addition to keeping things dry, LVP is durable, in that it’s pet-proof and even also dent-proof. That’s because LVP floors may look like wood, but they aren’t. Dunning says that LVP floor panels are made from a PVC-type material and their tight lock-and-fold system is what keeps the moisture out, even from the attached padding underneath that is made from an anti-microbial melamine material.

The LVP also is made with a stone-composite material, which is what Dunning says makes it 100-percent dent-proof, adding that is a change from when LVPs first arrived on the scene and were made from a wood composite material. That material, however, was susceptible to dents, especially from heavier appliances like refrigerators or washing machines.

“They’re always coming out with newer, more innovative ways to keep the product getting better and better,” Dunning says. “The SPC (Stone Plastic Composite) is way better than the WPC (Wood Plastic Composite) and that was the knock on laminates when they first came out.”

American Wood Flooring doesn’t just sell and install LVPs, even though Dunning says that’s his best seller. They will still put down wood floors, as well as carpet, tile and laminate. In fact, Dunning says tile is making a comeback of sorts, while noting that many customers don’t know that American Wood Flooring also can install backsplashes.

“These things go in cycles, if you ask me,” Dunning says. 

Satisfied Customers!

And, whenever the cycle changes, American Wood Flooring isn’t without its repeat customers.

“We’ve probably used them 6-7 times over the years,” Wesley Chapel resident Patrick Murphy says. “They did our home and then another home that was a rental, and it had to be totally redone once (the tenant) moved out. (Andy) replaced probably 2,500 square feet of floor.”

New Tampa resident Janet Noblett agrees. She had American Wood Flooring rip out the carpet in her master bedroom and the work was so good, well, she decided to do the three other bedrooms.

“About a year after we did that, I looked at my husband and said, ‘You know this has to happen now,’ so we went right back to Andy,” Noblett says. “I was really pleased, and I’m the type of person that I usually don’t just choose one company. I had four companies come out and show me different types and pricing and procedures, and grilled them to death. I just felt he really knew his stuff and was the most professional and on time! A lot of times, people don’t show up or are late — you want to give them your money, but they don’t show up. He showed right up. I would absolutely recommend (AWF) to anyone in my neighborhood or community because I know they will do the best job.”

A full recommendation also comes from Murphy, who says he appreciates Dunning’s fair and honest approach.

“(Andy)’s just straightforward with cost and the (installers) have been respectful and helpful and solid,’’ Murphy says. “The few times we had a problem with the outcome, they fixed it quickly, so they stand by the work…I have recommended Andy several times, even to my parents.”

Dunning notes that his installers are all AWF employees and not outside contractors, “So, we make sure your job is done right!”

Despite some restrictions still put in place on stores, Dunning says that his storefront  — in the SuperTarget-anchored Northwood Plaza at the corner of BBD and County Line Rd. — continues to be busy.

“Probably even busier now, to be honest,” he says.

That’s because when it comes to purchasing flooring, customers still want to see and touch samples, not just look at them online.

“They want to see the colors and the material with their eyes and hands,” Dunning says. “This isn’t like buying a shirt that’s $20 and if you don’t like it, oh well. This is a little bit more expensive, a little bit more permanent.”

Kind of like American Wood Flooring in the Wesley Chapel community. Certainly that’s what Dunning has planned.

“We’ll be here — we’re not going anywhere and, honestly, we’re busy,” he says. “Every month this year has been a record month, so I’m sure we’ll be doing plenty more homes even next year.”

American Wood Flooring offers free in-home estimates and offers a lifetime warranty on any install. Dunning makes sure to use emerging technologies in the industry and offers first-rate service at premium pricing, while still offering a full range of traditional flooring options. 

The company also offers Bloomin’ Brands gift cards (good at Outback, Bonefish and Carrabba’s) to clients who refer friends and family.

American Wood Flooring’s Wesley Chapel showroom is located at 1285 BBD Blvd. and is open Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-6 p.m., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sat., and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sun. For more info, visit FlooringforFlorida.com or call (813) 991-7999.

Wildcats volleyball has eyes on postseason run


Wesley Chapel High volleyball sisters Chloe (left) and Jordan (right) Danielson led WCH to a 14-11 season in 2019 and are eyeing a district title in 2020. (Photo: Mike Camunas) 

The Wesley Chapel High (WCH) volleyball program — barely older than its players — may be coming of age.

Although its past is littered with losing records — prior to last season, the team had won as many as eight games just once (in 2013) — the Wildcats (11-4) are streaking heading into Tuesday’s showdown against Sunlake (11-1), winning six straight games.

WCH team is coming off a 14-11 season.

“The year before that we were 3-17, so, yeah, it was a complete turnaround… and we’re looking to be (Class 4A, District 6) champs this year,” said Brittany Collison, who is in her fourth season as the team’s head coach. “That’s the endgame.”

Turnarounds happen a lot quicker when you add a couple of high-jumping, spike-pounding, six-foot volleyball players like sisters Jordan and Chloe Danielson. The duo, who also play for Collison’s Club Steel team in the offseason, played together up on the net last season.

Chloe leads the team in kills with 121; Jordan is right behind her with 107, and leads the team with 197 assists.

In her first high school season, Chloe, now a sophomore, led the team in kills (216) and blocks (95), while Jordan, a senior, was second in kills with 204 and led the team with 328 assists.

“They play all year for me at Club Steel, so I know what I’m getting with them,” said Collison, a former collegiate libero at Eastern Florida State College. “There’s high-level playing from both of them. They just bring the energy and passion to this team.”

But, it wasn’t always this much fun, especially for Jordan.

“My freshman year was super rough,” she said. “We weren’t good at all and neither was I. I wasn’t even close to how good I am now or how good we are now. … I’ve only been playing club for 3-4 years, but there I’m not the captain. Here, I’m the captain, so I’m like, ‘Let’s get this done.’” 

It is not, however, only a two-person show at WCH, which boasts plenty of experience. Senior middle blocker Amiya Oliver is a force at the net with 77 kills and 38 blocks, sophomore setter Vanessa Campos is emerging as a standout with 131 assists and senior libero Carina Santiago-Sanchez led the team in digs last year with 247.

But, once Chloe was added to the roster, the Wildcats’ success — especially at the net — could not contained.

“We were good and were winning, so that helps,” Chloe said. “Jordan was already here, so that made it easier and things were great from the start. She has a lot of energy up on the net, which gets me really hyped at the net, too. She’s a really huge role model for me because I’ve watched her even before I started playing, so when I see her and what she can do, it makes me want to improve myself and my game, too.”

The two sisters are able to feed off each other, and their versatility is an added bonus. They can both play most any position, and in fact, Jordan led the team in assists and was second in digs, and Chloe was first with serving aces last year.

“Since we’re used to each other’s energy, we just bounce off each other all the time,” Jordan says. “When she does something good, it pushes me to do something good, and I push her back. So, it’s nice to have the same energy as someone playing next to you.”

Business Is Pretty Cool At Total Air Solutions

Total Air Solutions service tech Matt Bonnell inspects an air conditioning unit. The Tampa office of Total Air serves Wesley Chapel, New Tampa & Lutz. (Photos: Charmaine George).

Total Air Solutions has been serving not only the Tampa Bay area, but areas up and down the Gulf Coast, for the last 19 years. But, over that time, Total Air has mostly dedicated its business to commercial properties — from offices to medical clinics and more.

It was only about two years ago that Total Air started servicing residential customers and co-owner and co-founder Bill Albert knows that’s one reason why there are those in our area who may not be familiar with his company.

“We’ve been in Tampa a lot longer than people realize,” Albert said. “We hire local techs and we’re continuing to grow and very interested in growing in the Lutz, New Tampa and Wesley Chapel areas.”

While Total Air Solutions has made strides in its quest to become the go-to service provider for air conditioning in our area, Albert points out that the recent “new normal” brought on by the novel coronavirus and subsequent quarantining from the pandemic — such as working from home and virtual schooling — has led to a very large uptick in the residential air conditioning business.

“Everyone is in their houses now,” Albert says. “It was fine when you left your house at seven in the morning (and could turn the air down). But now that you’re there 24/7… everyone needs the service much more because the air is always running. And, it’s Florida. So it’s been a banner year for our residential side.”

On The Grow From Day One

Albert figures that Total Air, which he started in his garage with fellow co-owner/co-founder Frank Decarlo, has nearly doubled in size in less than a year. 

“To put it frankly, it’s going like gangbusters because everyone is staying home and they’re concerned about their air conditioning,” he says. “Our commercial side slowed down a bit, especially in April and May, but we’re seeing that pick back up, too, as offices are reopening.”

Bill Albert

Albert worked for six years as an HVAC distributor for Carrier Florida, first in Tampa and then in Orlando, and prior to that, he held positions in a solar hot water heating and installation company and a home energy design system firm. 

Decarlo previously was the VP/general manager at a heating and cooling company in North Port for seven years, where he was initially hired as a service manager and grew that company’s annual sales fourfold. Prior to that, he was a service technician at an air conditioning firm in New York.

Now, 19 years later and having combined their efforts, Total Air Solutions has offices in Tampa and North Port and 92 employees.

“There are a lot of air conditioning companies out there, but there are very few qualified technicians,” Albert says. “We’re also Carrier-certified and (have won Carrier’s) President’s Award three years in a row, but we can also fix any brand because when you call us, we send you service technicians, not salesmen. There’s an industry term for that — an SID, or “salesman in disguise” — but that’s not what you get from Total Air. We’re not going to sell you things you don’t need. We try to find the total air solution for our customers.”

Like any business, Albert adds, Covid-19 has affected the way Total Air Solutions meets its customers’ needs. The offices were initially shut down and the employees were working remotely. And then, the  technicians would go out to calls and drive separate vehicles.

And, Albert says, Total Air is adhering to every guideline put out by the U.S. Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).

“While we’ve been very lucky that we’ve been touched very sparingly with our employees and personally with this disease,” Albert says, “we are still taking every precaution provided by the CDC. (We use) masks, gloves, sanitizer, booties, covering the (cost of) testing for our employees — we’re just doing the best we can, like everyone else.”

Hurricane Season Mode

Albert adds that Total Air also is handling the “new normal” of visiting customers’ homes well, but also is in full hurricane season mode at our press time, knowing that any storm that hits the area could require a lot more service requests.

“We’re very conscious of hurricane season because we know there can be damage or people can be without air conditioning,” Albert says. “We want to help them get it back up and running as quickly as possible.”

And, Total Air does that very well and efficiently. It’s one of the reasons they been able to keep customers from the very start.

“I’ve been a customer with Total Air Solutions for about three years,” says Carroll Grant of New Tampa. “It all started when my air conditioner went out in the middle of the night. They were here at 7 o’clock in the morning to install the new unit with no hassle at all, and I’ve been happy ever since.”

Grant is aware that, as a Floridian, having a working air conditioning system isn’t a luxury. 

“Living here in Florida, having reliable air conditioning service is not just a request or a hope, it’s an absolute necessity,” he says. “So, my suggestion would be to anyone who needs air conditioning solutions, give Total Air a call. I would very much recommend them to friends and family, and I have.”

Especially since Total Air is now offering three inspection for the price of two, a package which costs just $149.The special is only for new customers, who need to mention that they read about it in the Neighborhood News before the service is started.

Albert says this special offer is one of his favorites because he knows it offers a great value to his customers, especially if they are using Total Air Solutions for the first time. 

He says the maintenance of an air conditioning system, even a new unit, is vital to keeping your house cool.

“Just because it’s running doesn’t mean it’s perfect,” Albert says. “I ask (customers), ‘Don’t you change the oil in your car?’ So, you get the maintenance right there, and then you have another maintenance for the next year. It’s a great deal.”

And of course, Total Air Solutions also provides residential and commercial heating services, including installing heat pumps, and offers indoor air quality and filtration solutions (more in demand these days, due to Covid-19), as well as duct work services, and you can even finance your new Carrier AC. 

Total Air Solutions’ Tampa office is at 1015 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. For more info, visit TotalAirFl.com or call (813) 247-2665.

MOVIE NIGHT!

So, as it turns out, you literally can get anything at a Walmart Supercenter.

Even a drive-in movie.

On August 18 and 19, the Walmart on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel converted a large portion of its parking lot into a drive-in movie theater, which was part of a nationwide pop-up drive-in movie event touring the country and visiting 160 Walmart locations.

At this free event, Walmart stationed two large digital screens and cleared out a big section of its parking lot. Anyone was welcome to go online and register to see a showing of “Spy Kids” on Tuesday evening and “Selena”’ on Wednesday evening.

Both showings were sold out, with about 70 cars lined up with families and couples 

who received goody bags full of snacks and water at check-in.

“We love this,” said Wesley Chapel resident Janet Perez, who, with her son, enjoyed some drive-thru Taco Bell while watching “Spy Kids.” It didn’t even matter that the movie was a hit 20 years ago.

“You don’t know how much we’ve missed movies!,” Perez said. “Plus, this is both of our first time at a drive-in, so it’s been great. It was great of Walmart to do this.”

Families with little kids huddled in the front seat(s) of the cars to watch the movie and snack on popcorn, as the audio for the film could be heard by tuning the radio to 92.1 FM. Many of the cars enjoyed the experience with the windows down, as the Florida evening sky turned orange with the sunset.

In the end, it was a fun event that even new Wesley Chapel residents enjoyed.

“This was definitely great, especially for families who don’t have a lot going on, or are low on money because of the virus,” said new Wesley Chapel resident Tiffany Hardy, who said she recently moved here with her family from Leesburg.

Tiffany watched the movie with her husband, Jason, in the driver’s seat and her son, Talon, on her lap (photo, right).

“It’s nice to be able to get out of the house and do something a little different, too,” she said.