Pokemon GO is taking over The Shops at Wiregrass mall, new restaurants are nearing completion of S.R. 56, we stop by and talk with PROtential Sports and Gary shares some of his favorite places to get a good meal in the Seminole Heights area.
New Tampa and Wesley Chapel consumers who like to support their neighborhood businesses by shopping locally can also bank locally at Central Bank, located on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., just south of County Line Rd.
According to President and Chief Executive Officer John Thompson, thereâs a big difference between a community bank and a branch office of one of the national financial institutions.
âThe policy of a community bank is set by the management in that community,â Thompson says. âThe community banks are much closer to whatâs going on in their communities than larger banks.â
When Central Bankâs founders were going through the planning and regulatory process to open their bank 10 years ago, the areaâs economy was moving along steadily towards a prosperous future as people moved into new homes, followed by businesses to serve them.
According to Vice Chairman of the Board Nilesh Patel, the Central Bank team of financial entrepreneurs saw a need they could fulfill. The New Tampa location is Central Bankâs only full-service facility, although there is a plan to open a loan processing office in Dade City in August.
âIn 2005 and 2006, Florida had tremendous growth,â Patel says. âNew Tampa was chosen (as our headquarters) because there were not that many banks.â
But, there was a lot of construction under way and more being planned as the area on both sides of the Hillsborough and Pasco county lines continued to add shopping plazas and housing tracts.
Central Bank opened the doors to its standalone headquarters building on the south side of the county line in February 2007.
âJust in time to experience the economic chaos (of 2008-09),â says Thompson.
While the recession that started in 2008 rocked many banks, Central Bank stayed on its course.
âOur Board oversight has been on maintaining a well-capitalized institution,â says Thompson. âWe weathered the storm very well.â
Solid finances at its founding and prudent management during the challenging years that followed allowed Central Bank to go against the tide and position itself as not many other community banks could during the recession. âWhen the recession set in, it caused a lot of banks to get out of mortgage lending (nationally),â Thompson says. âWe got into it.â
When the local economy showed some signs of recovery, the economic engine driving growth in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel kicked into gear again.
The projected growth envisioned for Wesley Chapel that had been on hold is now under way. The Shops at Wiregrass mall found its commercial footing and is now poised for expansion; the Wiregrass Ranch Development of Regional Impact (DRI) is setting the stage for major development in the area around S.R. 56; the Tampa Premium Outlets has opened, and major projects like the Florida Hospital Center Ice complex are nearing completion.
âIf you look at the growth all around S.R. 56, residential construction has picked back up,â Thompson says, adding that part of Central Bankâs business model of commitment to the local community and making decisions based on that is giving greater consideration to mortgage applications from people whose personal finances may have taken a bit of a hit during the recession.
âYou had a lot of good people affected by circumstances beyond their control,â Thompson says. âTheyâve gotten good employment again but have some blemishes. We view those people as acceptable risks.â
Patel notes that factors like the current price of housing and growth in land values help ensure that the numbers add up for the bank and make it possible to be a good neighbor as well.
âThe prices are right, the interest rates are right and the values are going up,â Patel says. âWe being community members, we try to find a place for them.â
High customer service standards also are part of the deal, Thompson adds. âWe try to give a quick turnaround.â
The Bank For Your Business?
Many small, independent businesses occupy a lot of the storefronts in the shopping plazas of New Tampa and Wesley Chapel, and Central Bank is available to serve them in the same neighborly way it does individual consumers.
One of the small business owners Central Bank has earned as a customer is Beverly Zichy. Her Wesley Chapel company, Proforma C & B Elite, provides brand management and marketing solutions. Sheâs been in business for 10 years and has been with Central Bank from the beginning.
âIâve enjoyed a great relationship there,â Zichy says. âAll the employees are friendly and know me by name. I canât say that about any other bank Iâve used in the past.â
For consumers looking for a place to conduct routine personal banking business, Central Bank â which has current assets totaling $121-million, about twice what it started with â offers a variety of services, such as savings, checking, IRA and CD accounts (including a new Advantage Plus CD, which affords greater flexibility on deposits and rates of return).
Central Bank uses the Presto network of ATM machines, which means customers can withdraw money from any Publix store ATM without paying a fee.
The bankâs website (CentralBankFL.com) offers a variety of financial tools ranging from a simple calculator to switch kits that facilitate changing from another bank to Central Bank. Loan inquiries also can be initiated from the website. Other online services available to personal and business customers include online bill paying and access to statements, fund transfers and more.
A free Central Bank app also is available for both Apple and Android devices.
According to Thompson, providing online services offers great potential to meet the needs of customers efficiently. âWe are in the process of expanding our online account handling,â he says. âWe believe technology is the best way to expand.â
Central Bank is a small business itself, dealing with many of the same opportunities and challenges as many of the businesses it serves. The bank has 23 employees who handle everything from handling deposits at a teller window to overseeing cyber security and compliance with industry regulations.
And, like other New Tampa- and Wesley Chapel-area businesses, Central Bank is involved in community activities, with employees participating in projects like Paint your Heart Out Tampa (which has painted over 2,600 homes of low-income, elderly citizens the past 26 years), the American Cancer Societyâs Relay for Life, DARE to Rescue (which rescues and rehabilitates Dachshunds) and Habitat for Humanity, which builds homes for the needy.
Financial education is another area of community involvement for Central Bank.
âWe have employees who go into the schools and teach (kids) about banking,â says Patel, who is a resident of Live Oak Preserve and is serving as the chair for the sponsorship committee of the 29th Annual India Festival, which will be held in November at the Florida State Fairgrounds.
In fact, because many of the bankâs board of directors and founding members have strong family relationships with India, the bank is called Central Bank â the name of one of the oldest banks in India.
Whether itâs serving the banking needs of consumers and businesses of New Tampa and Wesley Chapel, or donating time and energy to worthy causes, Central Bank is staking its future on exemplifying what it means to be a community bank and a good neighbor, according to Thompson, who is active in the Rotary Club of New Tampa, which meets for breakfast every Friday at 7 a.m. at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club.
âWe want to be a good community citizen and have a reputation for honesty and integrity to the public,â he says.
You can learn more about Central Bank by checking out their ad on page 27, calling 929-4477, dropping by for a visit at 20701 Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd, or by visiting CentralBankFL.com.
Marino Cecchiâs Allstate agency, located in the Shoppes at The Pointe plaza in Tampa Palms (near Ciccio Cali and Koizi restaurants), offers a full range of personal and commercial insurance products, including homeowner and automobile policies, and additional products, such as life insurance, variable annuities and even money market funds.
The agency has been open since December 2014, and in just a year and a half, itâs grown quite a bit. âOur biggest source of business is referrals,â says Marino. âOur current customers are happy with their service, so they refer their friends, neighbors, and coworkers to us.â
Marino also says that most of his customers find him when they are looking for a quote for their auto or home insurance. Then, after theyâve learned about the agency and established a rapport with Marino, they often begin considering purchasing financial products through the agency, too.
âRecently, weâve had more people looking for retirement accounts,â he says. âI think itâs a seasonal thing, as people do their taxes, they are looking for ways to reduce their tax burden, and we can help them with IRAs and other financial products. Weâve also recently helped families with college funds, too.â
He invites anyone doing their research about which insurance company or agency to choose to visit his website, which is accessible via the shortcut MarinoFS.com, to read the reviews his customers have written about him. Youâll see that nearly all are overwhelmingly positive reviews, but youâre still able to read the reviews that arenât as glowing.
âItâs really a credit to Allstate that they donât allow us to a remove negative review,â he says.
Marino holds a âSeries 6â securities license, which means he can sell insurance, mutual funds, and variable annuities, but does not handle stock trades.
Most products are provided by Allstate, but some are brokered, Marino says, such as homeowner insurance and financial products.
âThis means that customers can shop from companies that Allstate has already vetted and approved,â he explains, adding that some of these are large, multi-state or even international companies, such as Federated National Insurance, Prudential, Axa, and Voya, while others are based in Florida, such as Security First Insurance.
Experience Counts
Marino is originally from Chicago, and spent most of his life in the Windy City, although he also has lived in Wisconsin and Charleston, SC. He earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Organization Management from Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, IL (near Chicago) in 1985. While in college, he began a career in banking that lasted more than 30 years. He has served as president of First Colonial Mortgage Corporation and Community Banc Mortgage, and he led the account management team at MortgageBot, a leading national provider of mortgage origination for banks and lenders.
âIn the banking world, I worked as a trusted advisor,â he explains. âAnd, thatâs what I want to be for my customers now. I have a ton of experience and knowledge that Iâve gained through my banking career, and Iâve realized that there is a lot of emotion when it comes to finances and making major purchases. It can be confusing and daunting to think about all these coverages, and there is a need for someone who can, with composure, look at your issues and give you sound advice. You need to find someone who is willing to do whatâs in your best interest, not necessarily the best interest of the company.â
He says that his 30 years in the banking industry also have shown him that many people donât really understand what they are buying, so they might not be protecting themselves from potential problems.
âPrice is absolutely a factor, and we want to help you get the lowest price,â he says. âBut, itâs not the only factor. We take a consultative approach to be sure that you understand how your current insurance products help meet your financial goals, and how your risk and exposure to financial loss might affect those goals.â
Customer Service, New Phone App, Texting & More
In addition to Marino, the staff includes account managers Johnathon Wofford, Donna Jones and Cortney Gonzalez.
âEveryone in Marinoâs office is very helpful and friendly,â says Howard Lilienfeld, who lives in Tampa Palms and recently became a client of the agency. âI had a problem and needed insurance for my home, and Marino jumped right on it. I also got auto insurance very quickly, as well as an umbrella policy.â
Howard says he likes that he can call Marino anytime, and that he can stop in to see him because heâs close by.
âI highly recommend him,â Howard says. âHe puts a lot of effort into his work and is very knowledgeable. If he treats everyone the way heâs treated me, theyâll be in good shape.â
Marino says his agency is ideal for people who want to understand and make educated choices about the insurance and financial products they buy. As an Allstate agency, all of his clients have access to a 24-hour call center, and he says they like the flexibility of using the website or even the Allstate mobile app (available for iOS and Android) to make payments and get information. But, Marino says that what really sets Allstate apart from the big companies that donât have agents is, âClients can come in and meet our staff and talk with the same person every time they have a question,â he says. âPeople often like to do their research online, buy their insurance or financial products in person, and then make payments easily through a convenient app on their phone.â Marinoâs Allstate agency can accommodate all of those options.
Along those lines, Marino also recently added the option for clients to text his office phone number when they need something from their agent. âIt gets used more than I thought it would,â he says. âA lot of times, I get texts from people at the car dealer, saying that they are buying a new car and are giving us the VIN number.â He says thatâs an easy way to get information to him, and that he gets those messages on his phone, even when heâs not in the office.
Marino has recently joined the leadership team of a networking group thatâs new in New Tampa, called Keep It Local. The group meets every Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. at A Dash of Salt âN Pepper (10353 Cross Creek Blvd.). âI like that itâs a more local business networking group,â says Marino. âThereâs a lower membership fee than other groups, and itâs seat-specific, so thereâs only one insurance agent. Thereâs also a volunteer component, so our members give back to the community.â He says the group is already meeting, but will have its official kickoff will be on Wednesday, August 3, 11:30 a.m., at A Dash of Salt âN Pepper.
Marino Cecchiâs Allstate agency is located at 17020 Palm Pointe Dr. and is open Mon.-Thurs., 9 a.m.-6 p.m., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Fri., and on Sat. by appointment. Call 513-9001 for more information, visit MarinoFS.com, or you also can âlikeâ the agencyâs Facebook page by searching âAllstate Insurance: Marino Cecchiâ in the Facebook search engine.
New Tampa Plastic Surgery, a premier cosmetic surgery âboutique,â has been helping New Tampa and Wesley Chapel residents look and feel their best since 2011.
 Specializing in the aesthetic plastic surgery of the face, breasts and body, Board-certified plastic surgeon Peter Fakhre, M.D., rejuvenates and enhances the natural beauty of his patients with the latest cutting-edge surgical and non-surgical procedures.
Dr. Fakhre also has been named one of the top doctors in the country by Vitals.com (a medical review forum for consumers). According to the website, Dr. Fakhre was named a âVitals Top 10 Doctor.â Of more than 870,000 doctors nationwide, Dr. Fakhre has been recognized as being in the top one percent, of all physicians, as determined by patient ratings.
Located in the Windfair Professional Park off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., across from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC), New Tampa Plastic Surgery sees patients from all across Pasco and Hillsborough counties. Dr. Fakhre and his staff help everyone who walks through their doors feel welcome; their primary goal being to make the patient feel comfortable while exploring his or her best options for plastic or reconstructive surgery (as well as non-surgical alternatives, in some cases) in a highly professional and confidential environment.
You can see the results of Dr. Fakhreâs work when you visit NewTampaPlasticSurgery.com. Although his work definitely speaks for itself, he also is highly recommended by his patients. In a physician review on Vitals.com, Dr. Fakhreâs patient Jane Gibbons said, âPlastic surgery? More accurately â Surgical Artistry! Dr. Fakhre is a master of his craft. He not only is an accomplished surgeon, (he also) is a man of integrity who listens, counsels and guides his patients toward the goals they are seeking. (He) then satisfies those goals with skill and precision!â
She continues, âDr. Fakhre works with his patients to determine the best surgical and non-surgical options that will achieve the desired outcome. As a bonus, his office staff is compassionate, efficient and shares his philosophy that everyone deserves to look their best. Unquestionably, Dr. Fakhre is the best that Tampa Bay has to offer!â
Dr. Fakhre, who is one of the few plastic surgeons in the Tampa Bay area to be double-Board-certified by both the American Board of Plastic Surgery and by the American Board of Surgery, explains, âThere are many things that are important in achieving successful outcomes in plastic surgery: an understanding of the patientâs desires, their physical examination, realistic goals, sound surgical technique, attention to detail and outstanding postoperative care, all of which contribute to success in cosmetic plastic surgery.â
He earned his Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Biology from the University of South Florida in Tampa, graduating summa cum laude. He then elected to attend the University of Florida College of Medicine. It was while he was at UF that Dr. Fakhreâs surgical talent, aesthetic eye and love for plastic surgery were realized.
Dr. Fakhre then completed a general surgery residency at the world-renowned Mayo Clinic, where he scored in the 98th percentile in the American Board of Surgery in Training Exam, the highest among all of the residents in his program. He was involved with numerous publications and research projects, which have been presented at numerous scientific meetings, including the distinguished American Society of Plastic Surgeons. During his surgical training, Dr. Fakhre was awarded the Excellence in Teaching Award by the Mayo Clinic Medical School and served as Chief Resident in Surgery in his final year of surgical training.
Dr. Fakhre was then privileged to match at his first choice of Plastic Surgery fellowship programs at the prestigious Methodist Hospital where he again excelled, scoring the highest in-service exam score among all plastic surgery residents in his program and serving as Chief Resident during his final year of plastic surgery training.
âI had the wonderful opportunity to train with members of the original group of plastic surgeons that invented the breast implant, as well as facial and body plastic surgeons whose surgeries have been featured on The Discovery Channel,â Dr. Fakhre says. âWorking in such an environment provided great exposure to a large volume of primary as well as revisionary cosmetic surgery cases. This experience was priceless and Iâm happy to bring this type of training to the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area.â
This training and his own expertise helped Dr. Fakhre earn the highest score possible, in the 99th percentile among Plastic Surgeons, in plastic surgery of the breast, on the American Board of Plastic Surgery written examination.
In addition to refining his surgical skill and technique during his plastic surgery training, Dr. Fakhre also volunteered his time with Operation San José and traveled to Guatemala on a cleft lip and palate surgical mission. There, he helped deliver surgical care to many cleft lip and palate patients who may have otherwise never received the treatment they needed.
Dr. Fakhre says that he was happy to return to the Tampa Bay area after his training and currently lives in Seven Oaks with his wife of 13 years and two children, who keep them busy and entertained.
So Many Surgical Options
So many of us have things we would like to change about our bodies. Time, age and weight changes all take a toll on the body and these factors can affect your appearance and self-image. Dr. Fakhre says that cosmetic plastic surgery is a way to help you look and feel better. âWhen we are happy with our appearance, we feel more confident,â he says.
New Tampa Plastic Surgery offers a plethora of cosmetic surgery procedures for women and men, including breast enhancement (augmentations, lifts and reductions), tummy tucks, face and neck lifts, eyelid surgery, liposuction and more. Known for his technical skill, eye for beauty and superior aesthetic practice, Dr. Fakhre will work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan to achieve your desired outcome and to make the ânew youâ a reality.
âCosmetic plastic surgery allows the surgeon to combine artistry with sound surgical techniques to produce superior results,â says Dr. Fakhre.
Breasts, for instance, are often at the core of a womanâs femininity and self-confidence. Dr. Fakhre explains that breast surgery is one of the most personal decisions a woman can make.
âBreast augmentation surgery can increase your self-confidence and satisfaction with your body,â says Dr. Fakhre. âBy increasing or restoring breast volume, we can help our patients achieve a better-proportioned body.â
Dr. Fakhreâs breast augmentation patients are first educated about implant size and types so they can make informed decisions about which would best satisfy their personal goals. He says that the two main implant types available are still silicone and saline and that the implant selected depends upon a variety of factors.
Currently, the most common implants that Dr. Fakhre uses are silicone implants, which he says look and feel more natural than their saline counterparts.
Breast lift surgery removes excess tissue and repositions the breast and/or nipple to a more youthful position. This procedure is often chosen by women desiring to restore form to their breasts or reclaim their âbefore-babyâ appearance. And, although breasts are intertwined with the feminine profile, women are not the only ones who have breast surgery. In fact, Dr. Fakhre says that he has helped many men feel better about their appearance with reduction surgery for men with female-looking breasts (also known as Gynecomastia).
Liposuction, âMommy Makeoversâ & More
Another popular cosmetic surgical procedure at New Tampa Plastic Surgery is liposuction, which can improve the bodyâs contour by removing fat deposits that are resistant to diet and exercise. Liposuction restores proportionality and minimizes problem areas. Dr. Fakhre says that if you find yourself shopping for clothes to hold your tummy in or help slim your thighs, liposuction may be your answer. He adds that liposuction offers significant results with minimal downtime.
âIn fact, many (liposuction) patients recover over a weekend and return to work on Monday,â he says.
A full âMommy Makeoverâ also is a popular procedure sought by women who want to get back to the body they had before they had children. Dr. Fakhre says that the most common âMommy Makeoverâ combines a breast lift (with or without breast augmentation for reshaping), a tummy tuck to tighten the midsection that was stretched during pregnancy and liposuction to remove unwanted fat deposits.
Dr. Fakhre, who has surgical privileges at Florida Hospital Tampa and Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, says that he performs most of his surgeries at the New Tampa Surgery Center, located nearby (off S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel), although he adds that he does perform minor procedures in his office as well. Wherever he performs his artistry, however, his satisfied patients are a testament to his experience and training.
âFrom the moment I walked through the door in his office I was always greeted by first-name basis, which made me feel like I wasnât just another patient to get in and out,â Christina Vargas wrote in her patient testimonial about her experience with New Tampa Plastic Surgery. âThe whole process â from scheduling my appointments to the day of the procedure, even my recovery â went so smoothly. I highly recommend Dr. Fakhre. I give him 10 stars!â
Non-Surgical Options, Too
But, the office also is a true cosmetic boutique, offering skin and other non-surgical cosmetic procedures, in addition to plastic surgery. Many of these non-surgical procedures â such as Botox and dermal fillers, Latisse eyelash lengthening and thickening, fat injections, chemical peels that rejuvenate and energize the skin to beautify your natural state and more â often provide the results a patient is looking for, and are less âinvasiveâ than surgical options.
Board-certified nurse practitioner Christina Ahrens has nine years of experience in dermatology and plastic surgery and performs all of the non-surgical procedures at New Tampa Plastic Surgery.
âWe are fortunate to have Christina as part of our team,â says Dr. Fakhre. âshe does an outstanding job in the treatment of our patients.â
For your free cosmetic surgery consultation, call to make an appointment with Dr. Peter Fakhre at New Tampa Plastic Surgery at (813) PLA-STIC (752-7842). The office is located at 2541 Windguard Cir.
For a full menu of services, visit NewTampaPlasticSurgery.com. And, be sure to check out the ad on page 11 of our latest issue and âLikeâ New Tampa Plastic Surgeryâs Facebook.com page so that you can be notified of the officeâs monthly promotions on various services.
Raquel Torres of Raquel.Does.Hair. is an independent veteran hairstylist who gives her clients an exclusive salon suite experience in her own private room located in the Visionary Hair Company salon in the Cypress Glen Professional Park off of S.R. 56 (just east of I-75).
âYou pay for my full attention,â says Raquel. She says she never double-books, so she wonât be attending to someone elseâs haircut while youâre sitting under a dryer. âI control my own schedule, which is nice because I can set the appropriate appointment length to give each client the best experience possible.â
Raquel became licensed as a cosmetologist in Florida in 2003. She was dual enrolled in high school, where she thought cosmetology school would help her gain independence and an option for supporting herself while she attended college. Instead, she âfell in love and found I had a knack for hair.â
She did go on to receive her Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree from Pasco Hernando Community (now State) College in Brooksville in 2005. In addition to her cosmetology schooling and general education, she also recently went to barber school and became licensed as a barber last July.
Raquel says men, women and children come to her for, âeverything in the color and cut family.â She says that includes hair cuts, razor cuts (which she says offer more texture versus a blunt cut using scissors), pixie cuts and short hair cuts for women, among other styles. She does color and highlights, and especially loves a technique she uses with many of her clients called âbalayage highlighting,â where she hand-paints your highlights instead of using foils.
âIt makes it so the outgrowth is more natural with no heavy horizontal lines,â Raquel says, âso people can carry their natural color much longer without needing any kind of touch-ups.â
Especially now that Raquel has her barberâs license, she says she offers men much more of an experience than any of those âquick placesâ men often go to for their haircuts. Her high-quality cuts include shampoo and a scalp massage, which she says men really enjoy.
âWhen a man comes to me for the first time, they often tell me no one had ever given them a scalp-massage before,â she says. âNow, they wonât let me skip it. They enjoy the relaxation of the experience.â
Raquel worked in salons in Brooksville, Gainesville, and Wesley Chapel for many years before she says she âtook a leap of faithâ and began working independently in 2012. She found the room for rent at Visionary Hair Company and felt that striking out on her own at that time in that location was meant to be. âMy faith played a huge part in this,â Raquel says. âI really wanted this decision to come when I was sure it was what I was supposed to do.â
Raquel says that, to date, her business has grown primarily from word of mouth and referrals. She encourages clients to refer their friends to her when theyâre looking for something new.
âEvery client you refer to me means $10 off your next service, and your friend gets $10 off, too.â says Raquel.
âI hear from people all the time that itâs harder to find a new hairstylist than to find a new doctor,â she adds, âespecially because, when you try someone new, you have to walk around âwearingâ that until your next experiment.â
So, Raquel wants to make the experience of giving her a try easy and pressure-free. She says she talks with each client for 5-10 minutes before she ever takes out her cutting tools. Because her room is private, she can close the door, so thereâs no one else watching. She says she prides herself on being able to communicate with her clients.
âAnyone can say they are a hair stylist, but I really work to understand how my clients see themselves so that we can agree on a vision for their look,â says Raquel. âI take as much time as needed to be sure we find a style that complements them and their lifestyle.â
She also says the private room allows each client to have the experience that really fits their needs at that time. âA lot of moms come in and just want peace and quiet while they drink their coffee,â she says. Then she laughs, âOthers want to talk, and I tell them they can talk as much as they want as long as they hold their head still.â
She says she also has clients who want to come in and have a good time, so sheâll put on some good music and maybe even sing and dance while she works. âIf youâre looking for entertainment, I can do that, too,â she laughs.
Client Allen Williams says that Raquelâs warm, bubbly personality, and excellent work has kept him coming back to Raquel since the day he went to a salon and the person he wanted to see wasnât there, so he ended up with her.
Allen says she cut his hair and his response was, âWow! I like this.â Allenâs been going to her ever since, following her to her new location.
Allenâs wife Julie started going to Raquel a little over a year ago. âSheâs always in a happy mood, and I feel super comfortable with her,â Julie says. âShe really seems to know whatâs going to look good on me.â Julie adds that she wanted to âgo blondeâ for the summer, but Raquel talked her out of it.
âSheâll do what you want,â Julie says, âbut the times Iâve gone against her advice, Iâve regretted it.â Julie says Raquel suggested she tone the blonde way down so it goes with her complexion, and she loves the end result.
Allen and Julieâs son, who is a high school student, began getting his hair cut by Raquel, too. Raquel describes his style as âhipster chicâ and says heâs âvery particularâ about his hair. His parents say people often ask him who cuts his hair, so they refer them to Raquel.
âI love her,â says Julie, âand everyone Iâve recommended her to loves her, too.â Allen concurs, âI refer everybody to her, because you can pretty much guarantee theyâre going to be happy.â
Thatâs Raquelâs goal. âI donât care how you looked when you came in,â she says, âIâm responsible for how you look and feel when you leave.â
Raquel.Does.Hair. is located at 2405 Creel Ln., Suite. 101, inside the Visionary Hair Company salon. Raquel is available by appointment Tuesdays-Saturdays beginning at 10 a.m. To make an appointment, call Raquel at (352) 442-1082. You can see before and after photos of her work, check her prices, and read client testimonials at StyleSeat.com/raqueldoeshair.