North Tampa Bay Chamber Wins Its Second Top-Three Award In A Row!

Assn. of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) Executive Committee chair Carlos Phillips (far left) and ACCE president & CEO Sheree Anne Kelly (far right) pose with (l.-r.) membership director Jen Tussing, president & CEO Hope Kennedy & foundation chair Michael Berthelette of the North Tampa Bay Chamber, at the ACCE awards event last month, where the NTBC was again a finalist for Chamber of the Year. (Photo provided by Hope Kennedy).

Both this year and last, the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce (NTBC) has been named one of three finalists for Chamber of the Year in its category by the nationwide Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE).

Both years, the NTBC has come up short of winning the award, but that’s not stopping this busy chamber or its leadership team. “Win or lose, it’s such an honor to be a finalist, and no other chamber in any of the four categories was named a finalist the last two years,” says NTBC President and chief executive officer Hope Kennedy. “It was hard for us to come home without the top prize again, but we’re still so proud of the work we’ve done and the successes we’ve had.”

Kennedy says the application process, which the NTBC has gone through “for each of the last ten years or so, is extensive and difficult,” as the ACCE has more than 1,800 member chambers of commerce and business organizations of all sizes and locations across the country.

Kennedy also notes that the NTBC also was again the finalist with the smallest paid staff (just two — Kennedy and membership director Jen Tussing). By comparison, the Pearland (TX) Chamber, which won this year’s award in the NTBC’s Category 1 (for chambers with less than $500,000 in annual revenues), has a staff of six.  

Neither current NTBC Board chair Justin Keeney, the VP and senior portfolio manager of Fifth Third Bank, or immediate past chair Javan Grant of Slater Grant, was able to travel to Salt Lake City for this year’s ACCE 2023 Awards Ceremony on Aug. 1, so foundation chair and 2021 Board chair Michael Berthelette of Platinum Salon made the trip with Kennedy and Tussing.

“Even some of the larger Chambers in our area — including the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce — have applied to be Chamber of the Year the last two years without even being named a finalist,” Kennedy says. “We take a lot of pride in what we do and what we have accomplished.”

How You Can Get Involved!

Although being a finalist for Chamber of the Year is a big honor and is based on a variety of factors — including membership retention, advocacy, community involvement and more — the bottom line is that the NTBC also exists to help small businesses. 

The Chamber features a variety of ongoing activities, including the following:

• Breakfast-1st Tues. of each month

• Luncheon-2nd Tues. of each month

• Leading Ladies Network (formerly 

   WOW)-1st Fri. of each Month

• Final Friday-Last Fri. of each month

• Coffee Social-3rd Wed. of each Month

• Member Orientation-4th Wed. of each mo.

The NTBC also offers member businesses the opportunity to host ribbon cuttings at their locations, as well as a variety of  annual events, including the upcoming Wesley Chapel Fall Festival the weekend of Oct. 28-29 (co-sponsored by Florida’s Sports Coast and Penguin Productions). 

Also upcoming is the NTBC’s Celebrating Excellence in Business awards gala (on Thursday, November 16) and nominations for the Excellence in Innovation, Collaboration, Integrity, Inclusivity and the Community Hero award are now open. The Chamber also will host its third annual 5K Honor Run in February.

For more information about joining the North Tampa Bay Chamber, visit NorthTampaBayChamber.org or call (813) 994-8534.

Wesley Chapel Contract Postal Unit Opens This Wednesday!

Although we told you in our last issue that the new Wesley Chapel Contract Postal Unit (CPU) was expected to be open at 30124 S.R. 54 in the Freedom Plaza by the end of the first week of August, the CPU is now expected to open by Sept. 6, or after this issue went to press.  

New CPU contractors Jevon and Cindy Williams, the husband-and-wife team of Realtors based in Wesley Chapel with EXP Realty, told me that one important piece of postal equipment was holding up the opening, but that had now been received, so the CPU is ready to go.

“We even hired a former postmaster to help us get everything in order and ready to serve the Wesley Chapel community,” Jevon told me. 

Located between Bosco’s Italian-to-Go and Great Hope Preschool in the former location of the 3D Wellness Pharmacy, the pharmacy’s sign was still above the door at our press time, but at least the door of the new location (photo) itself now says “Wesley Chapel Post Office Contract Unit” and notes that the new CPU has shipping supplies and also offers fax, copy and Notary Public services.

Although it wasn’t yet open, Jevon was happy that the last piece of equipment had finally arrived and that the CPU was now ready to open for business with its planned regular business hours — Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and 9 a.m.-noon on Saturday.

And yes, he says the plan is still to offer free coffee to the CPU’s customers.

Although the Wesley Chapel CPU is located several miles from parts of Wesley Chapel, it will offer an alternative to driving to the much-further away (for most) Zephyrhills Post Office and will feature regular post office pricing.

Have You Tried Kinkas Bakery & Café?

Every once in a while, a new restaurant opens that seems to attract more people than almost any other place. I happened to stop in at the new Kinkas Bakery & Café — located at 24020 S.R. 54, a little bit west of Oak Grove Blvd. in Lutz— shortly after it opened a little more than a month ago and I honestly have yet to see the place be anything other than packed, no matter what time I’ve visited.

And, I’ve honestly already visited pretty often. The husband-and-wife team of Tomas de Jesus and Yenastrid Perera (although, he says, “She’s the real boss here!”) is a couple from Puerto Rico who bring their own recipes to this truly delicious place that features almost 100% house-baked pies, cakes and other decadent desserts, perfect café con leché and what I believe is the main reason it’s always so crowded — a different-each-day rotation of prepared hot foods. 

To date, I have sampled the pernil (roast pork), boneless and bone-in ribs and my favorite so far, the beef stew. Please note that beef and cheese, chicken and a variety of other empanadas, as well as butter, chocolate, almond and other croissants are available every day.

As for the desserts, I’ve only sampled a couple, but the homemade Reese’s peanut butter cheesecake is as good as any I’ve had anywhere, including New York.

Kinkas is busiest on the weekends — when the line can literally be out the front door — but I assure you that it’s worth the (usually short) wait.

Kinkas Bakery & Café is open every day except Monday, 7 a.m.-5 p.m. For more info, call (813) 333-4032 or visit KinkasBakery.com — and please tell Yenastrid and Tomas I sent you.

News Briefs — BayCare Seeking YMCA Approval, Home Sense Opens & A 911 Event

Former New York City EMT Stephen Spelman is bringing the framed Ladder 18 fire truck artifact from 911 to the Zephyrhills Museum of Military History for its 911 Remembrance Event on Sept. 9. (Photo by Charmaine George)
BayCare Health’s proposed YMCA (two black outlines at center left) and medical office building (top rectangle close to BBD).

As reported by Kelly Gilroy on her outstanding “Pasco County Development and Growth Updates” Facebook page on Aug. 24 — after no updates since representatives from the YMCA first started attending local meetings a couple of years ago — BayCare Health Systems is having a pre-application meeting with Pasco County staff to propose  52,391-sq.-ft. YMCA and a 100,000-sq.-ft., two-story medical office building. The plan includes parking lots, a “New Drive” roadway and a curb-cut connection at the southwest corner of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and Eagleston Blvd., next to the new BayCare Wesley Chapel hospital. We’ll update this story once we have additional information.

Home Sense Opens Next To Bealls
BayCare Health’s proposed YMCA (two black outlines at center left) and medical office building (top rectangle close to BBD).

On Aug. 10, a new Homesense store opened in the Shoppes at New Tampa of Wesley Chapel, between the also-still-new Bealls Outlet and Flip Flop Shops stores in the plaza on BBD Blvd. south of S.R. 56.

Homesense — the off-price home store featuring high-quality furniture and accessories that is the newest retail banner of The TJX Companies, Inc. — now operates 50 stores in the U.S. TJX is the leading off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions in the U.S. and worldwide. The company operates nearly 5,000 total stores in nine countries,  including 1,304 T.J. Maxx, 1,189 Marshalls, 901 HomeGoods, 81 Sierra, and now 50 Homesense stores.

I visited the new store the day it opened and it was packed with not only people, but as-advertised great prices on everything from couches to wall art to Halloween knickknacks (photo above). For more information, visit us.homesense.com or call (813) 991-0249.

9/11 Remembrance In Zephyrhills 

On Saturday, September 9, at 8 a.m., the Zephyrhills Museum of Military History near the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport (at 39444 South Ave.) will host a 911 Memorial Remembrance Day event.

Former New York City emergency medical technician Stephen Spelman, who arrived at World Trade Center in his vehicle as the North Tower was getting ready to fall on September 11, 2001, will be bringing the piece of the Ladder 18 fire truck that he had been given to the event.

Spelman had previously loaned the ladder truck artifact to the Tampa Premium Outlets Rotary Club for the mall’s 911 exhibit, but decided to bring it to the military museum for an event that also will feature guest speakers — Lt. Col. Perry Blackburn from the movie “12 Strong,” as well as Craig Gross, a Gold Star Family member whose son, Cpl. Frank Gross was killed in Afghanistan and Pasco County Commissioner Seth Weightman. 

“We’re also going to have a plane full of parachuters dropping in at 8:46 a.m., the time that the first plane hit the North Tower,” Spelman says. “My son is going to ring a bell in remembrance of that time.”    

Spelman received the piece of the ladder from a former fire captain friend of his who also was part of Motts Military Museum in Groveport, OH, where Spelman was scheduled to speak at a 911 event in 2017 when Hurricane Irma hit Florida, so he couldn’t make the trip. 

A few weeks later, Spelman received the piece of the ladder truck in his mailbox. 

“Ironically, I was about 30 yards from that (fire) truck when the North Tower collapsed,” he says. “I tried to find a place where this piece of history could properly be displayed and the Simon Premium Outlets management agreed to include it as part of the outlet mall’s 911 display.”

For more info, visit ZMMH.org.

Tell Us Your Favorite Sushi Place In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel To Win FREE Dining!

Enter Our 2023 Neighborhood News Dining Contest!

Here’s yet another chance to win FREE dining to the restaurant of your choice! One entry per person, per question. Below, please name just your Favorite Sushi Place in New Tampa OR Wesley Chapel! Even if you already named your favorite Pizza Place last issue, you can still enter again by clicking HERE!

We are giving you another chances to win a FREE dining prize of $100, $60 or $35!

Whether or not you already told us your favorite pizza place last issue, you’re still eligible to have a second chance to enter and win free dining by also telling us your Favorite Sushi Place in New Tampa OR Wesley Chapel.

Just fill out the entry forms online or mail your entry to us at 2023 Neighborhood News Reader Dining Survey & Contest, 2604 Cypress Ridge Blvd., Suite 102D, Wesley Chapel, FL 33544, or email your entry to us at Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com. Each time you answer a different Dining Survey question, you’ll receive an additional chance to win one of our FREE dining prizes — to the restaurant of your choice located anywhere in the Tampa Bay area!

All we ask is that you please check the zip codes of the restaurants you choose and remember not to name any Wesley Chapel restaurants as your favorites in New Tampa on the entry form.

We also include restaurants located in Lutz (either on Wesley Chapel Blvd., S.R. 56 and S.R. 54 (within no more than two miles from I-75) as Wesley Chapel eateries and those located in the Palms Connection Plaza on E. Bearss Ave. and the Oak Ramble Plaza on BBD Blvd. as acceptable places to eat in New Tampa.

As always, there’s no purchase necessary to enter or win a prize. All we ask is that you follow the following rules: 

1. Enter by filling out the entry form in the issue or HERE. 

2. You can mail us your filled-out entry form (send it to “2023 Neighborhood News Dining Contest,” 2604 Cypress Ridge Blvd., Suite 102D, Wesley Chapel, FL 33544) or email it to us at Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com. *Note-Entries filled out on our website do not need to be mailed or emailed to us. 

3. Please check the addresses and zip codes of the restaurants you choose, as we will only consider votes for restaurants in zip code 33543, 33544 and 33545 (Wesley Chapel), 33647, the portion of zip code 33559 (Lutz) and in the Oak Ramble Plaza (33613) as valid votes.

4. In order to be eligible to win any of our free dining prizes to the restaurant of your choice, your entry form with a response to at least one of our questions over the next five months must include your full name, the community you live in (Hunter’s Green, Grand Hampton, etc.), a daytime phone number where you can be reached and your valid email address.

We look forward to seeing how this year’s contest shakes out. Good luck! — GN