We received word earlier today that two Irish pubs with Wesley Chapel addresses — Irish 31 in The Shops at Wiregrass and the Beef O’Brady’s on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in the Shoppes at New Tampa at Wesley Chapel, just south of the mall — had closed.
Irish 31 posted the following notice on its Facebook page on April 29:
“Thank you, Wesley Chapel, for 7 wonderful years! Sadly, our Wiregrass location has officially closed its doors, but we hope to raise a pint with you some day soon at one of our other Tampa Bay pubs.”
Meanwhile, although we saw no such announcement for the Beef O’Brady’s on BBD, the location was no longer included on the store locator on the Beef’s website and the manager who answered the phone at the Beef’s location on Wesley Chapel Blvd. (next to Winn-Dixie) — which is still open and under new ownership — confirmed that the BBD location had indeed closed.
In case you were wondering, the O’Brien’s Irish Pub in the Wesley Chapel Village Market on BBD is definitely still open, as is the new 40 Thieves Irish Pub on County Line Rd. at Livingston Rd. in Lutz.
Dr. Shahida Choudhry (front & center) and her knowledgeable, friendly, professional staff at Palms Pharmacy in The Shoppes at The Pointe in Tampa Palms invite you to experience the difference between a true neighorhood pharmacy and the big chain stores. (Photo by Charmaine George)
When Shahida Choudhry, Pharm.D., founded her Palms Pharmacy in 2016 in The Shoppes at The Pointe plaza in Tampa Palms, she already had a decade of Publix pharmacy experience under her belt and knew exactly what she did and didn’t want her independent pharmacy to be.
What Dr. Choudhry didn’t want was to just fill prescriptions; her goal was to bring back the welcoming vibe of the old-school neighborhood pharmacy. At Palms Pharmacy, it’s not just about getting your meds — it’s about being part of a community where the employees know your name and the prescriptions you need because you’re a familiar face, not just another line item. Since Palms Pharmacy first opened eight years ago, Dr. Choudhry’s team has grown to a total of 16 pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
“My vision was to give back to the community and help our patients,” Dr. Choudhry explains. “We’re focused on your overall wellness and helping you get off medications that you might be able to replace with natural supplements.”
She adds, however, that she will never tell you to stop taking a medication your doctor has prescribed for you. Instead, she will make suggestions to bring back to your doctor if she thinks that there is a better way to achieve the same goal. “This is a passion project of mine that’s evolved over the years,” she says.
A proud alumnus of Long Island University (LIU) in Brooklyn, NY, Dr. Choudhry earned both her Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degrees from LIU.
Her Palms Pharmacy offers personalized, on-site compounding services, creating primary care provider-prescribed creams, topicals, mouthwashes, etc., while outsourcing items like semaglutide for weight loss to trusted, high-quality sterile pharmacies.
“We make sure that your compounded medications are affordable,” she says. “Compounding is important, and we want to ensure that you have access to the meds you need.”
In addition to those meds are Palms Pharmacy’s private-label supplements (photo on next page), available both in-store and online at Shop.ThePalmsPharmacy.com. Among the many supplements are a variety created to help kids with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).
“We have a lot of parents who have told us the ADHD supplements have really helped their children,” Dr. Choudhry says. “It’s important to know that helpful supplements like these are available.”
Independent, But Not Alone
Dr. Choudhry is proud of her relationships with other independent pharmacy owners, not just here in the Tampa Bay area, but across the country, as a brand ambassador for independent Health Mart pharmacies.
Speaking of independent pharmacies, Palms Pharmacy has been nominated for the 2024 Health Mart Pharmacy of the Year. There are more than 5,000 independent and locally owned neighborhood pharmacies allied together under the Health Mart banner. In order to win the award — which will be announced at the McKesson ideaShare convention in New Orleans, LA, in June, a Health Mart pharmacy has to be judged to have best-in-class clinical practices, be an outstanding Health Mart brand ambassador, be a community leader and independent pharmacy advocate and exhibit excellent financial performance.
The Health Mart franchise is owned by Health Mart Systems, Inc., which is part of McKesson Corporation.
Additionally, Dr. Choudhry was named number six among the 50 Most Influential Leaders in Pharmacy by the Pharmacy Podcast Network, as voted on by her peers.
“It’s a North American recognition,” she says. “It’s my third year in a row of being in the top 10. It’s an honor, and I think it’s pretty crazy that my peers have voted for me.”
Dr. Choudhry, who also is often a presenter or featured speaker at many pharmacy conventions, was recently in Washington, D.C., fighting for pharmacy benefit reform, to help pharmacists become recognized as health care providers and help get new Medicare reform laws passed.
“We’re just trying to make some kind of positive changes,” she says.
Wellness Now! Telehealth Care
In an expansion of her commitment to her patients, Palms Pharmacy is now partnering with Wellness Now! to provide telehealth care appointments to help patients with a variety of needs. However, Dr. Choudhry says Wellness Now! is starting by offering patients interested in weight-loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy (semaglutide) or Mounjaro and Zepbound (tirzepatide) that their primary care physicians won’t prescribe (usually due to insurance restrictions), to be able to have telehealth appointments with licensed nurse practitioners who are able to prescribe these medications. Then, Palms Pharmacy is happy to fill those prescriptions for you.
Dr. Choudhry says that when the coupons for affordable Wegovy and Mounjaro were pulled two years ago, many patients were left unable to afford their prescriptions. She decided to find other ways to get these meds.
“We’re giving patients another option and it’s very important that the prescriptions are affordable,” she says. “We found options for them starting at $100 per month. Wellness Now! is a great option for patients.”
The licensed nurse practitioners evaluate each patient’s medical history and future goals to determine the best course of treatment for their personalized health care plans. If deemed appropriate, patients will receive a prescription to help facilitate weight loss — compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide options.
Also coming soon to Wellness Now! are Men’s Health appointments, with the intention of increasing testosterone naturally. “This is a different approach than just throwing testosterone at patients,” she says. “We have to find the root cause of why the testosterone is dropping. We’re also going to offer erectile dysfunction (ED) compounded medications that are more natural, not just the blue pill.”
In addition, Wellness Now! also will offer dermatological telehealth appointments and Dr. Choudhry says she will soon be making an exciting announcement about them.
Locally-Sourced Retail & Outstanding Reviews
In addition to over-the-counter medications and a huge selection of natural supplements that she is happy to describe for Palms Pharmacy customers, Dr. Choudhry also hand-curates a selection of unique gift items. These include whimsical cotton candy and marshmallow candies and other sweets and snacks, as well as locally-made soaps, candles and natural local honey. She regularly attends natural product expos to source new products and collaborates with local independent creators. And, her prices are always competitive with, if not less expensive than, what you’ll find in a large chain store.
“People think a small, independent pharmacy is more expensive, but it’s really not,” she says. “We really want to be competitive. We’re like a hidden gem.”
Her customers and patients agree. In one of more than 400 5-star Google reviews, customer Kimber B. highlights some unique findings in her Google review:
“Excellent service. The pharmacist is very knowledgeable and helpful. The staff is polite and attentive. The retail items are great quality and yes, I’m a sucker for the cotton candy.”
Another customer, Deborah B., expresses her appreciation for the exceptional service she has received in her 5-star review: “They are efficient, friendly, and so helpful. Our pediatrician recommended them to us, and we drive across town because of the quality customer service and efficiency of this pharmacy.”
Anniversary Celebration April 19
On Friday, April 19, 3 p.m.-5 p.m., Palms Pharmacy is throwing an 8th anniversary bash with a food truck providing free food. Attendees can snag tons of freebies and great giveaways. “I just love what I do,” gushes Dr. Choudhry. “Do you have days when you don’t want to go to work? That’s not me. I absolutely love my job!”
When not at the pharmacy, this dynamic Wesley Chapel resident, her husband Irfan, her son Eisa and her daughter Sarina love to travel.
Palms Pharmacy (17008 Palm Pointe Dr.) is open Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Call (813) 252-9063 or text the secure text-only line: (727) 513-3210. For more information, see the Wellness Now! or visit ThePalmsPharmacy.com.
TJF USA LLC, the parent company of Central Florida-based Tijuana Flats Tex-Mex restaurants, has been acquired by a new ownership group (Flatheads, LLC), but the company concurrently announced that it has filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which has resulted in the closing of 11 of its 26 franchise locations (there also are 65 company-owned Tijuana Flats), including the one in New Tampa at 17501 Preserve Walk Ln. in the Highwoods Preserve area, which is already closed.
The Wesley Chapel Tijuana Flats, located at 27709 S.R. 56, is one of the locations that is remaining open. All of the Tijuana Flats restaurants are located in Florida, North Carolina, Texas and Alabama.
In addition, the Island Fin Poké Co. (located next to Winn-Dixie, in the same plaza as LA Fitness south of County Line Rd.. off Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in New Tampa) is expected to be closed by the close of the business day tomorrow (Apr. 30).
Island Fin owners Brenda and Jeff Sproat — who also were known for posting photos featuring their fresh poké bowls and Dole whip desserts pretty much every day — posted a message on the fast-casual poké bowl restaurant’s Facebook page.
Here is the Island Fin announcement:
To Our Ohana,
With sadness we announce the upcoming closure of our Island Fin Poke location in New Tampa/Wesley Chapel on Tuesday April 30.
Our leased space is up for renewal, pushing us to a decision point. After careful consideration, we are choosing to finally slow down a bit, travel and enjoy our grandchildren.
We will miss our amazing team of young people, the opportunities to meet so many wonderful people in this great community, and offering delicious and healthy food on a daily basis.
Thank you for your support and we hope you will come by for a poke bowl or Dole Whip so we can personally thank you. — Jeff and Brenda Sproat, Owners
Also, although Smallcakes Cupcakery & Creamery (in The Shoppes at The Pointe plaza in Tampa Palms, off BBD, next to Cali Tampa Palms) owners Marissa and Justin Dewdney had not yet made any formal announcement as to when their business would close, they did confirm to the Neighborhood News that it was closing. Marissa said that although they had decided to close the cupcakery, “We are still open and ready to serve our community fresh baked cupcakes like we have been for the past six years.”
I, for one, will be sad when Smallcakes does close its doors for good. The icing on those super-moist cupcakes is the best I’ve had in the area.
I also plan to try the new Korean BBQ poké bowl at Island Fin before it shuts down. Sorry to see both of these locally-owned franchise businesses go.
And finally, although we told you way back in our Sept. 19, 2023, New Tampa issue that Potbelly Sandwich Works was taking over the former Oronzo space in The Walk at Highwoods Preserve plaza on BBD, we had no idea at that time how long it would take for Potbelly to open in the plaza.
Well, we now know that the answer is “No time soon.” Yours truly was able to stop in at the under-construction location and what I saw was a still-completely-gutted space with a dirt floor. In other words, no remnant of what once was Oronzo remains and even the construction workers at the site (who said they didn’t know and certainly couldn’t speak officially about any projected opening date) said that it would be “months” before Potbelly could possibly open. I didn’t take any pictures inside, but based on what I saw, it could be until the end of the year before we see the new Potbelly opening in that space.
In the meantime, feel free to visit the Potbelly Sandwich Works at 4738 N. Dale Mabry Hwy. (near Raymond James Stadium) or the 2520 S. Falkenburg Rd. (near Brandon) for the Chicago-based chain’s famous “toasty sandwiches, soups, salads, fresh-baked cookies and hand-spun milkshakes.” — GN
Taylor Gardner grew up around gutters, learning his dad Ed’s business.
One thing he’s learned is that adding gutters is about the least expensive thing homeowners can do to protect the value of their homes, ensuring that Florida’s famous summer downpours don’t destroy their foundations or any aesthetic upgrades.
“Protecting the foundation of your home is the main purpose of gutters,” Taylor says, “but they also protect your paint and will help your grass and sod last longer. Gutters protect anything on the outside of your house to help it stay in great shape for as long as possible.”
Without gutters, Taylor says, water is much more likely to settle at the base of your home’s foundation. With that saturation, the water can cause erosion to the side of your home, leading to cracks in the stucco and window ledges, and form unsightly trenches. Water under the home also can cause wood floors in the home to pucker or pop.
That’s why Taylor Gardner Gutters on Land O’Lakes Blvd. installs and repairs gutters, soffits and fascias, and offers gutter cleaning, which keeps the gutters working properly and in good repair.
It’s now been about four years since Taylor took over Ed’s company, which was then known as Gardner Gutters.
Taylor Gardner is proud that his Taylor Gardner Gutters on Land O’Lakes Blvd. is carrying on the legacy of outstanding installation and repairs of gutters, soffits and fascias started by his father Ed and his brother Brandon, both of whom lost battles with cancer. Taylor and his outstanding crew guarantee quality workmanship on installations and repairs (All photos provided by Taylor Gardner)
Taylor came on board to help his dad after serving in the Marine Corps for nine years, including a tour of duty in Iraq. He had used his experience and his Business Administration (B.A.) degree from Liberty University (in Lynchburg, VA) to start a different career, but came home when his dad needed him.
The company quickly became Taylor’s responsibility when Ed passed away following a long battle against cancer in 2020. Taylor’s older brother, Brandon, who had decades of experience as an installer, came on board to help. Unfortunately, Brandon was then also diagnosed with cancer and passed away only eight months later.
So now, Taylor continues the legacies of both his dad and his older brother, and he does it surrounded by a team that would make them both proud.
“When I started, my dad had 35 years of experience and my brother had more than 20,” says Taylor. “I had some, but not what they did. It’s been hard to lose both of them, but things here have been amazing because I’ve got really great employees.”
That starts, he says, with Mike Caisco, the company’s field operations manager, who has 40 years of experience in the business and personally inspects every job Taylor Gardner Gutters does once it’s complete.
“Our installers are great, and we have several who have been with the company more than 15 years,” Taylor explains. “They know exactly what they’re doing.”
Then, Mike comes to inspect to be sure everything is done the way it’s supposed to be, which means the installers are held accountable to ensure that there’s never any corners cut on any job.
That’s important to Taylor because his company offers a lifetime warranty on its installations. He says this is something that sets Taylor Gardner Gutters apart from others.
The company’s policy is that any customer who experiences a warranty issue will have the problem inspected within 24 hours and fixed as soon as possible — no matter how many years it’s been since the gutters were originally installed.
“I’m confident you’re not going to have a problem,” Taylor says, “but in the event you do, we’re going to show up and take care of it.”
In addition to the installers and field team, he mentions the fantastic office staff — Allison and Kammie — and great salespeople — Mike and Kenny, who are involved in the community and incredibly knowledgeable.
Over the last few years, with Taylor running the business, it’s grown to five gutter trucks and four soffit trucks. In addition to helping homeowners, Taylor Gardner Gutters also installs, repairs and cleans gutters for business owners with commercial buildings. The company also works with several homebuilders to install gutters on newly built homes, including many new GL Homes neighborhoods in Wesley Chapel, such as The Ridge, Winding Ridge and Valencia Ridge, and David Weekley Homes throughout the local area.
Jim Akins just bought a brand new home in Lutz from a builder that did not include gutters. “We knew we needed them before the summer started,” says Jim, a long-time Florida homeowner who is familiar with the problems summer storms can wreak on a home’s foundation.
“Taylor personally came out and gave us an estimate,” Jim explains. “I asked him all of my questions and found him to be very knowledgeable, professional and courteous. The price was right, so we were very happy with that.”
Jim says he hired Taylor Gardner Gutters right away and couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome.
He says the installation crew was focused and meticulous, explaining that they re-measured the whole house before they started, even though Taylor already had measured it as part of the estimate.
“I highly recommend them,” says Jim. “It was an easy choice.”
Taylor says that he is proud to continue the legacies of his father and brother by offering top-quality work that makes customers like Jim happy.
“There are so many days I just wish I could pick up the phone and tell my dad and my brother about what’s happened (with the company),” Taylor says.
But, since he can’t do that, he’ll continue to run the family business in a way that would make them both proud, and to leave a legacy for his own son — five-year-old Jacob — just like his dad did for him.
Taylor Gardner Gutters is located at 6202 Land O’Lakes Blvd. (U.S. Hwy. 41) in Land O’Lakes. Its hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, visit TaylorGardnerGutters.com or call (813) 515-0844.
Included among the Top-21 Pizza Restaurants in Tampa in Stacker.com’s rankings, based on reviews on Yelp.com, were (above) #4-The Grill at Morris Bridge (photo by Charmaine George); (below middle) #11-Capri Pizza-N-More; (below left) #15-Cali Tampa Palms; and (below right) #21-Via Italia. Note – All of the photos, other than The Grill’s, are from each restaurant’s website or social media.
On April 21, Stacker.com, a nationwide website started in 2017, published a list of the Top-21 Pizza restaurants in Tampa, using data from Yelp. Here is how Stacker, which says that its mission is to, “provide approachable journalism that combines rigorous data analysis with rich editorial insights,” introduced this pizza feature:
“Data is as of March 29, 2024. Businesses were selected using Yelp’s ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only restaurants with at least 25 reviews were considered.”
As you read this feature, please recognize that the rankings of the eight New Tampa-area pizza places shown here — four that made Stacker’s Top-21 list and four that didn’t — are not our rankings or even our readers’ ratings. Stacker’s list was compiled using data culled from reviewers on Yelp.com.
The only reason we’re providing them for you in this space is because four of the Top-21 (out of literally hundreds of pizza places with Tampa addresses) are located in zip code 33647 — which makes the story news for us and, we believe, for our beloved readers.
A few other things to consider when reading these rankings is that:
1) For this feature, Stacker’s list does not include any restaurants that do not have Tampa addresses (so no Wesley Chapel, Lutz, St. Pete, etc.),
2) That the feature itself doesn’t say whether the rankings are for the restaurants overall or just for their pizza, but Yelp ratings usually take into account each restaurant’s overall menu, as well as ambience, service, prices, etc.
3) That there appears to be at least one New Tampa restaurant — Johnny C’s Italian Eatery — that actually had a higher overall rating on Yelp — 4.3 stars out of 5, compared with 4.2/5), than at least one of the Top-21 (Via Italia), even though Johnny C’s has 45 Yelp reviews and Stacker’s criteria were that each ranked restaurant had to have at least 25 Yelp reviews.
Also not explained is why Stacker chose the Top-21, instead of the Top-20 or Top-25, as at least three other New Tampa-area restaurants that feature pizza also had overall ratings of at least 4.0 stars out of 5 — Woodfired Pizza & Wine Bar (2822 E. Bearss Ave., 4.1 on 389 reviews), Taste of New York Pizza (17503- C Preserve Walk Ln., 4.1 on 165 reviews) and Cappy’s Pizzeria (16019 Tampa Palms Blvd. W., 4.0 on 152 reviews) and therefore might have made a Top-25 list.
Cali Tampa PalmsCapri Pizza-N-MoreVia Italia
Anyway, Congratulations to each of the places that made Stacker’s Top-21:
#4 – The Grill at Morris Bridge (10920 Cross Creek Blvd., 4.5/5 on 120 reviews)
#11 – Capri Pizza-N-More (10359 Cross Creek Blvd., 4.4/5 on 88 reviews)
#15 – CALI Tampa Palms (17004 Palm Pointe Dr., 4.3/5 on 751 reviews)
#21 – Via Italia (8644 Hunters Village Rd, 4.2/5 on 250 reviews)
Again, these are not our rankings or yours, although some of you may see your reviews of some or all of these places on Yelp. We just thought that including these ratings on our pages would be another great conversation starter for our readers.
Here Are The Places Stacker Left Out
Because We Know At Least Some Of You Would Ask:
Here are some of the other pizza places in New Tampa and their ratings on Yelp: Westshore Pizza (3.4/5 on 59 reviews); Marco’s Pizza (3.2/5 on 49 reviews); Papa John’s (3.1/5 on 28 reviews); Domino’s (2.9/5 on 32 reviews); Hungry Howie’s (2.3/5 on 23 reviews); Pizza Hut (1.6/5 on 28 reviews).
