Essentials Massage & Facials — Affordable Luxury For Mother’s Day!

By Camille Gillies

If you thought that a $25 massage would get you a hack masseuse and a rickety table in a ramshackle shell, think again. In the case of Essentials Massage & Facials, located off S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel, $25 can buy you an hour of the kind of luxury many people thought they couldn’t afford in light of today’s economy.

At Essentials, located near Sam’s Club in the Seven Oaks professional park, that incredible price gets you an hour-long relaxation (Swedish) massage in a luxurious setting with an experienced, licensed massage therapist (LMT) that rivals those you’d find at a five-star hotel. That same jaw-dropping price of $25 also pays for a European facial performed by the highly trained, licensed aestheticians at Essentials, who use top-of-the-line skincare products.

“You can’t find a value like this anywhere in New Tampa,” says co-owner Forrest Gorman, who opened the spa with his wife Tania last June. “We offer a five-star experience at fast-food prices.” Tania is one of the three certified aestheticians who perform facials at Essentials of New Tampa.

Spa manager Susan Roger points out that Essentials is unlike other spas in the area in another respect, too.

“We don’t require our customers to sign contracts here,” she says. “You can visit as often as you like and you are only charged the price of the service each time.”

Essentials Massage & Facials is a franchise that began in Pinellas County and currently has 14 locations in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Sarasota and Pasco.

“Since last summer, the business has grown from six locations to a total of 14,” Forrest says. “We are the only Essentials Massage franchise in Pasco County, so we have customers come to us from Dade City, New Port Richey, Odessa, Brooksville…pretty much all over the area.”

Despite the rigors of launching this new business, the Gormans both maintain their primary careers: Forrest is an engineer and Tania is a specialist in the hospitality industry. They moved to New Tampa from Brandon last August to be closer to their business and because, Forrest says, they fell in love with the area. “This was the right place for us, personally,” he explains. “We could have chosen to open the business in Carrollwood, but we fell in love with the people and the demographics here. New Tampa and Wesley Chapel just have so much to offer.”

 

Quality Services At Unbeatable Prices!

The licensed massage therapy services at Essentials include several different choices: relaxation ($25 for one hour, $45 for 90 minutes), deep tissue ($35), neuromuscular ($35), reflexology ($35), prenatal ($35), and hot stone ($49.95). All are performed by LMTs who possess an average of nearly five years of experience, according to Gorman. All massage services include full-body exfoliation and a hot-towel treatment. Massage customers must be a minimum age of 16 unless they are accompanied by a parent.

“Many of our customers have never had a message before,” Susan says. “It just wasn’t affordable for them. But, with our prices, many are able to come here on a regular basis. We have a lot of repeat business.”

Massage is enjoyed by young and old alike. “We have a group of four older ladies who make the trip here weekly from Dade City,” Susan says. “Massage is a source of relief to many people suffering from arthritis or simply from the aches and pains associated with pulled muscles and past injuries.”

Couples massages also are available and, Forrest says, are a fun and relaxing way to spend an evening. The couple shares a room, but each person has his or her own massage therapist.

“Some couples come in again and again,” he says. “It’s a great way to unwind together, and the cost is about the same as a night at the movies.” Not surprisingly, couples massage is a popular activity for Valentine’s Day, anniversaries and other special events.

Forrest says Essentials’ affordable skin services also are becoming increasingly popular as the word gets out about the quality and the value. Facial options include European ($25 for one hour), acne ($40), anti-aging ($40), back facials ($40) microdermabrasion ($55), and chemical peels ($49.95).

“For our facials, we use GM Collin products, which is a skincare line used at five-star spas as well as at the Academy Awards,” Tania says.

As an added service, Essentials invites a cosmetic dermatology practitioner from a local medical practice to provide consultations for customers interested in Botox injections and Juvederm or Restylane dermal fillers.

Another popular special is a $49.95 microdermabrasion and facial combination that is available on Mondays and Wednesdays only. Susan says that these services — and events such as a “mini-spa day,” which includes a one-hour massage, one-hour facial, light lunch and a glass of wine, all for $65 — would be triple the cost elsewhere.

Essentials also offers a “Ladies Night Out” package ($95 per person), which includes a European facial, one-hour massage, complimentary exfoliation, wine, cheese and crackers in a private salon setting. Susan says it is a popular choice for birthdays and bridal parties and it’s available any weeknight between 6 and 9 and all day on Sunday.

Other spa services include waxing, as well as hot and cold body wraps that concentrate on detox and cellulite reduction. Susan says ladies might consider a wrap before a big occasion when they are trying to slim down to fit into a special dress.

If you’re interested in hair removal, Essentials offers all types of waxing services, from eyebrows and underarms, to bikini areas and legs. The spa features a room used exclusively for this service.

Essentials also reserves a room for spa parties. The spa will even close to the public for private gatherings and tailor events to suit customers’ needs.

“We can even do mimosa breakfast parties as well as wine-and-cheese evening events,” Susan says. An a la carte menu is available to help you plan.

With Mother’s Day and the June wedding season fast approaching, you might want to take note of the gift certificates and party packages available at Essentials Massage & Facials (2230 Ashley Oaks Circle, Wesley Chapel). Or heck, go ahead and treat yourself! Call 527-6979 or visit EssentialsofNewTampa.com.

Every Day Is Cinqo De Mayo At Vallarta’s In Wesley Chapel!

By Gary Nager

Cinqo de Mayo will be held this year on Saturday, May 5, which means that popular Mexican restaurants like Vallarta’s Restaurante Mexicano in the Wesley Chapel Village Market (on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. at S.R. 54) will be even more packed than usual that Saturday night.

But, why wait until May 5th to check out Wesley Chapel’s most popular and most affordable Mexican restaurant, when Vallarta’s is open and serving huge portions of great food every day (except Sunday) for lunch and every day for dinner?

My buddy Fabian Jimenez at Vallarta’s, which is celebrating its tenth Cinqo de Mayo in the middle of its eleventh year at the same location in the Village Market, knows he will be packed for that most famous of Mexican holidays, “So, we hope everyone will visit us before Cinqo de Mayo.” The place is already crowded for dinner most nights (and is getting known for being a quick, value-conscious lunch, too), but Fabian says Cinqo promises to be “crazy fun.”

Fabian’s uncle started the original Vallarta’s on N. 56th St. in Temple Terrace and is a partner with Fabian in two of this Tampa-based family “chain” of seven restaurants all using the Vallarta’s name. Among the other locations are two in Lutz, U.S. Hwy. 19 in Palm Harbor, N. Dale Mabry Hwy. and Anderson Rd. in Carrollwood.

Fabian says he is proud of the number of regular customers the Wesley Chapel location has who come back multiple times each week for the atmosphere, the cuisine and the great prices.

Although I try to limit my intake of hot tortilla chips, Vallarta’s puréed tomato salsa is never overpowering (some people I know add a little hot sauce to it) and washing that down with an ice cold Dos Equis or Modelo cerveza (and/or a shot of an upscale Don Julio or Patron tequila) is definitely required for me at Vallarta’s, which boasts a premium, full-liquor bar and also serves a variety of frozen drinks.

Among the appetizers I enjoy at Vallarta’s are the huge Grande Quesadilla (stuffed with chicken and half with beef tips, plus refried beans and served with guacamole & sour cream) and the shredded pork tacos de carnita. I never order nachos myself (too filling and fattening for my taste), but one fellow patron at the bar said she always comes back with a girlfriend to share the nachos with beef and beans.

Yes, Vallarta’s has very popular enchiladas, burritos, tacos, combination meals, vegetarian entrées and child’s plates, but this meat lover keeps coming back to the great chicken and steak specialties, from combo fajitas to my current favorite dish, the “Vallarta’s Special” whole ribeye steak, which is topped with onions, tomatoes and bell peppers, and served with rice, beans and flour tortillas. I also enjoy the grilled pollo a la parilla, which is perfectly grilled and served with rice, a guac salad and tortillas, and the batter-dipped pollo empanisado, which doesn’t need its side of nacho cheese dipping sauce.

In other words, you really can make any day Cinqo de Mayo at Vallarta’s of Wesley Chapel! Enjoy the fiesta!

Vallarta’s is located at 5335 Village Market, near Beall’s Outlet. For reservations and more info, call 907-5161. Or, visit VallartasTampa.com to reach other Vallarta’s locations.

Three New Tampa Scouts Spread Their Wings As Eagles

By Matt Wiley

Zakary Adams always knew he wanted to be an Eagle Scout.

On March 20, he made that goal a reality as he and his two friends, Connor Harding and Nicholas Novatne, were recognized as Eagle Scouts, the highest rank a Boy Scout can achieve, during a ceremony at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church on Cross Creek Blvd., where the trio first met and attended their scout meetings.

“It felt like the culmination of my journey in the Scouts and the gateway to the next chapter,” says Adams.

Unlike many Boy Scouts, Adams, now 16, started as a Cub Scout when he was in 4th grade. Many Cub Scouts begin their journey in kindergarten or first grade. Adams says that he is grateful for his later start.

“I started when I was a little more mature,” he says. “It gave me a better appreciation. I was excited about Scouting. It wasn’t just another meeting my parents were making me go to.”

He says the excitement that he felt towards the program at a young age helped him stick with it. Many kids who begin scouts at a young age don’t end up continuing on to become Eagle Scouts. According to the National Eagle Scout Association (NESA), only about five percent of all Boy Scouts go on to become Eagle Scouts.

“It was perseverance,” he says. “I really wanted to get Eagle. Boy Scouts gave me those aspirations. I wanted to be able to show that I stuck with it.”

Adams is currently a sophomore at Wiregrass Ranch High and he says he is grateful to scouting for many of the friends he has met along the way, two of which received the same honor on the same night he did.

“I started Scouts right before middle school,” he explains. “I went to a middle school outside of my county so I didn’t know a lot of people in the area. I met people through Scouts that I now know in school.”

Novatne met Adams when Adams first joined Boy Scout Troop 148 of the New Fire District. The group has met at St. Mark’s for as long as Novatne can remember. A patrol leader at one point himself, Novatne remembers Adams being his assistant patrol leader.

Novatne, now an 18-year-old senior at Wiregrass Ranch High, started Cub Scouts around the first grade. “I remember making little wooden cars in my grandfather’s woodshop,” he says.

Novatne’s older brother Alan also is an Eagle Scout. After seeing his brother earn Eagle, Novatne says, he wasn’t sure whether or not he really wanted to stick with the program.

“I guess it was partly out of spite for myself,” he explains. “I couldn’t tell if (my parents) wanted me to get Eagle because my brother did, or because they thought that I could.”

But Novatne continued on, and says he is grateful that he did. “It’s an amazing honor,” he says. “I went the distance, I’m proud of myself.”

Connor Harding also followed in the footsteps of his family members to become an Eagle Scout.

“My dad was in (the Boy Scouts) before and my cousin was an Eagle,” says Harding. “That’s what made me want to do it.”

The 17-year-old junior at Land O’ Lakes High started Scouts as a first grader in Massachusetts. He met Adams and Novatne at age 11, after moving to the Tampa Bay area and attending Troop 148 meetings at St. Mark’s.

He says that he is grateful for all of the leadership skills that he has learned through his years as a Boy Scout.

“It feels pretty good knowing that all that hard work has paid off,” Harding says, relieved. “I learned lots of life lessons. I even learned things you wouldn’t expect to learn in Scouts, like how to balance a check book and make a budget.”

 

The Eagle Project

The three new Eagles had to utilize all of the skills that they learned to complete the pinnacle of their scouting career: the Eagle project.

According to NESA, to become an Eagle Scout, a Scout has to plan, develop and give leadership to others in a service project helpful to his religious institution, school or community. Adams decided to build two sets of gardens at Wiregrass Ranch High.

“The most difficult part of becoming an Eagle Scout is the project,” he explains. “It’s like all of the other projects combined. Mine took two to three months to finish.”

Novatne decided to raise money and construct three new picnic tables behind St. Mark’s, where the Troop meets. He also fixed up the fire pit.

“It was actually a lot more difficult than it sounds,” he says. “I raised funds with car washes and donations. The tables were 12 feet by 5 feet. I, of course, had help, but I still organized the whole thing.”

Eagle Scout candidates are not required to complete their projects entirely by themselves, since showing leadership is one of the principles that must be demonstrated to achieve the honor. However, they are in charge of all of the planning, directing and following through until the project’s completion, according to NESA.

Harding decided to save six dying oak trees at St. Mark’s, their roots suffocating under the weight of mulch and dirt that had never been changed.

“(The project) would have cost the church about $12,000,” Harding explains. “I replaced the dirt and mulch and tore out all of the stray roots.”

All three Eagles have higher education plans for the future, a quality scouting and their families helped fuel. Adams plans to join the Coast Guard after high school to fly helicopters while simultaneously working towards an engineering degree from the Coast Guard Academy. Novatne plans to attend Pasco-Hernando Community College while figuring out what to do next. And Harding, while undecided on where he wants to attend college, plans to pursue a law degree or a career in government service.

Novatne’s father and the boys’ Troop Master Joel Novatne is extremely proud of the new Eagle Scouts.

“As a Scout Master, three or four new Eagle Scouts in a year is just great, especially considering the statistics,” he says. “But, it’s still up to the boys to make it happen.”

Achieving the rank of Eagle Scout is an honor that truly is a milestone in a Scout’s life. Harding is happy to share the experience with two of his friends.

“There’s just no better way to do it,” he says.

Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is one of the country’s largest youth development organizations and has been teaching young people life-skills and values since 1910. Their mission is to “provide an educational program for boys and young adults to build character, to train in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and to develop personal fitness.” Adams, Harding and Novatne join the more than two million Eagle Scouts that have been recognized by BSA since 1912.

Boy Scout Troop 148 meets at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church off Cross Creek Blvd. in New Tampa every Tuesday at 7 p.m.

For more information or to get involved with the troop, send an email to Leader-BoyScouts@StMark Tampa.org. For additional information about the Boy Scouts of America, visit Scouting.org.