Wesley Chapel Theater Group Takes Over TrebleMakers!
Former Saddlebrook GM To Open Community Cafรฉ By June 15!
Pat Ciaccio says that before Saddlebrook Resort was sold last year to Mast Capital, it was providing a safe haven where intellectually and developmentally disabled adults could work and be accepted.
The former long-time Saddlebrook general manager says that all the years that he worked for the resortโs founder and owner Tom Dempsey, โwere very good to me and my family and I knew that what I really wanted to do was give something back and do something to help people with special needs.โ
Ciaccio says he was building on the good work Saddlebrook started when he came up with the idea for his new nonprofit passion project โ which he calls the Community Cafรฉ, located in the 3,200-sq.-ft. former Keeps Carpet Store building on S.R. 54, less than a half-mile west of Morris Bridge Rd.
โThe Community Cafรฉ will create welcoming spaces and provide workforce training opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities,โ Ciaccio says. โI know there are other businesses that hire the developmentally disabled, including Publix, but we want to do even more to help them. We want to train them so they can not only have a job, but actually move up to management positions. Nearly our entire staff of 30-35 employees (when it opens) will be people with these special needs who normally find it difficult to find a job.โ
Raised in New Jersey, Ciaccio says his family background spans more than five generations of leaders in the hospitality industry. He says the Community Cafรฉ will be home to a gourmet coffee bar and also will sell ice cream and smoothies (see rendering, right). The Cafรฉ also will feature a retail shop selling T-shirts, coffee mugs and other branded merchandise. He says he has visited several other businesses around the country with similar concepts, including Rise & Nyeโs in Sarasota.ย
And finally, there is an 1,100-sq.-ft. private event space that will feature artwork (that will be for sale, with all sales proceeds going to the artists) rotating quarterly by intellectually and developmentally disabled professional artists affiliated with Art4All. He says there will be entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights featuring performers with special needs. He adds that the event space will be available for use by community organizations.
Best of all, each area of the Community Cafรฉ will have its own โteam leaderโ among the โShining Stars,โ which is what all of the employees will be called. Only Ciaccio himself and the Cafรฉโs top management will not have special needs.
The Shining Stars will deliver a high-quality food and beverage experience with exceptional guest service in a tranquil, family-oriented, decompressing, โTeam Greater Than Meโ environment.
Ciaccio says that his goal is to provide cohesive and inclusive workforce training that will offer advancement opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
โWe truly are looking to change the current narrative about special needs adults from awareness to education,โ he says. โThe narrative must be changed.โ
Ciaccio isnโt alone in his passion to help those with special needs.
โI am in partnership with Katbrat Studios (which specializes in digital media and content creation), John Lombardo Coaching & Consulting and The Leyda Group (which specializes in leadership coaching and human resources consulting).
The Community Cafรฉ also will be led and mentored by a five-person Board of Directors: Dr. Alexis Dempsey-Doyle, Jodi Gordon, Wasim Kayal, Seth Ravenna and Dr. Mohamad Saleh.
โWe plan to connect the community through educational workshops and podcasts in the Cafรฉโs event center while providing an exceptional food and beverage experience,โ Ciaccio says.
As though heโs not already busy enough, Ciaccio, Tom Dempsey and Erik and Seth Ravenna also are opening Johnny Cโs Italian Eatery on Cross Creek Blvd. in New Tampa, in the former Precinct Pizza location.
Get More Info On Apr. 18!
Although Ciaccio says he anticipates that the Community Cafรฉ will open on or around June 15, he and his leadership team will host a News Conference that will be open to the entire local community, as well as the media. The event will be held on Tuesday April 18 (the day many of you will receive this issue in your mailbox), at 11 a.m., at the Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel (26640 Silver Maple Pkwy.). Ciaccio says he thanks Hilton Garden Inn GM Charlie Whiteacre for graciously agreeing to host this event.
โI also would like to thank all my partners and community members who already have reached out to lend support,โ Ciaccio says. โIt takes a village but together, I know that we can change the narrative!โ
For more information, visit CommunityCafeFL.com.
Taste The Unique Flavors At Desi Flavors Indian Cuisineย
Long-time readers of this publication no doubt realize that Indian food has never my favorite cuisine type. On the other hand, if more Indian restaurants served the subtly delicious flavors Iโve sampled at Desi Flavors Indian Cuisine, I might have spent more time in Indian eateries.
Owner Sree Alla, an information technology (IT) guy who worked for many years at an Indian restaurant in Atlanta, opened Desi Flavors, the first restaurant he has owned himself, in the Tampa Telecom Park off E. Fletcher Ave. in December 2020 โ in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Even so, Sree says he has continually built a loyal following since opening and he is hoping that his ads and this story in the Neighborhood News will help him continue to reach new customers in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel.
The food, at least what photographer Charmaine George, her boyfriend Brendan and I sampled on a recent visit, is pretty impressive. While most Indian cuisine is curry-based, Sree explains that there are so many different types and heat levels of curries that the same dishes at every Indian restaurant can taste different from every other place.
Whatever the reason, thereโs no doubt that Sreeโs dishes from all regions of India are full of flavor, which explains the โFlavorsโ in the restaurantโs name. The โDesiโ in the name means โcountry person,โ or โone from our country,โ and also can refer to people from Pakistan and Bangladesh.
About The Menu… ย ย
The only way to describe the two-sided menu at Desi Flavors is HUGE! The starters on the front of the menu are divided into โVegโ and โNon-Veg.โ To date, weโve only sampled the vegetable samosas (minced potato and green peas deep-fried in pastry dough), but they were crispy and had a milder, more delicate flavor than many of the samosas Iโve sampled elsewhere, and were served with two different chutneys (sauces).
Other โVeg Startersโ I am looking forward to trying include the spring rolls (minced veggies wrapped in rice paper and fried), the chilli paneer (crispy paneer tossed in a spicy sauce made with soy sauce, vinegar and chili sauce) and the gobi Manchurian (cauliflower florets dipped in corn flour, deep fried and tossed in ginger, garlic, spring onion and chilis).
The โNon-Veg Startersโ I look forward to trying include the non-veg samosas (with chicken or lamb), the chilli chicken (crispy chicken in the same spicy sauce as the cauliflower) and the fried fish pakora (fritters).
Charmaine, Brendan and I did try one of the โTandoori Sizzlersโ on the front side of the menu โ the chicken kababs, which are boneless pieces of chicken marinated in the Tandoori spice mix and cooked in a clay oven, served with fresh onions and peppers. Yum! There also are chicken on the bone, shrimp, fish (filet or whole), paneer (cheese)and mixed grill Tandoori options.
The chicken biryani Sree had us sample also had a completely different flavor than most others Iโve tried. The long-grain basmati rice is flavored with unique spices and the rice and bone-in chicken served on top of it are sealed in a thick pot and cooked over a slow flame. The chicken seemed spicier than the rice, but both were very tasty. I definitely plan to try the goat and lamb options in the future, but there are eleven different biryani on the Desi Flavors menu.
On the menuโs flip side, there are 20 non-vegetable entrรฉes, but all we tried was the butter chicken, another dish Iโve not always enjoyed elsewhere. The tender pieces of boneless Tandoori chicken are cooked in a rich, creamy (and very mild) tomato sauce with butter. It is served with a side of perfect butter naan bread (one of 12 baked-to-order breads on the menu) and basmati rice with peas and carrots.
Other non-veg entrรฉes include chicken tikka masala, kadai chicken or lamb with pan-sautรฉed veggies, butter lamb and Chefโs Signature lamb, goat, shrimp or fish curry.
There also are 18 different vegetable entrรฉes, from Chana (garbanzo bean) masala to palak paneer (spinach and cottage cheese seasoned with ginger, garlic and aromatic spices) and malai kofta (dumplings of fresh veggies and cheese cooked in a mild cream sauce).
Craving something different? Desi Flavors also offers Indo-Chinese options like fried rice or hakka (similar to lo mein) noodles, both with your choice of veggies, egg, chicken, shrimp or mixed.
There also are eight South Indian options, including Idly (steamed rice and lentil patties served with chutneys), chole poori (minced veggies wrapped in rice paper and fried), upma (thick porridge made with coarse rice flour and different veggies and nuts) and eight different dosa crepes made from rice and lentils, served with sambar (lentils in tamarind & coconut), tomato and coconut chutneys.
Save room for dessert, too. We got to sample the gulab jamun (Indian-style donuts made from evaporated milk solids deep-fried and served in a light sugar syrup) and rasmali (which reminded me of rice pudding) and I particularly enjoyed the gulab. Charmaine also really raved about the mango lassi, a super-creamy drink made with mango, yogurt, milk, a little sugar and a dash of cardamom. I also felt the hot masala chai tea was super-smooth.
Desi Flavors also has a variety of specials throughout the week. On Wednesdays (5 p.m.-9:30 p.m.), the South Indian menu options are buy-one, get-one free. The same offer goes for biryanis on Thursday evenings. On the weekends (Fri.-Sun), get a family biryani pack with a free appetizer or house special dessert to go for only $29.99 (veggie) to $45.99 (shrimp).
And, Saturdays and Sundays, 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Desi Flavors is proud to offer its 35-item Grand Lunch Buffet for only $16.99 per person, or $11.99 per child under age 12.
Desi Flavors Indian Cuisine (13418 Telecom Dr. in zip code 33637) is open Tues.-Thur., 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. & 5 p.m.-9:30 p.m.; 11 a.m.-3 p.m. & 5 p.m.-10 p.m. on Fri.; 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. & 5 p.m.-10 p.m.; and 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. & 5 p.m.-9:30 p.m. on Sunday, For more information, call (813) 615-0004, visit DesiFlavorsTampa.com. And, please tell Sree and his staff that the Neighborhood News sent you!ย
Taylor Gardner Gutters & Exteriors Can Help Build Your Homeโs Valueย
Your homeโs rain gutters may not be high on your list when it comes to home improvement or maintenance. But, Florida is one of the rainiest states in the country with an average rainfall of 40-60 inches per year, so it may be more important than you think.
โIf you donโt have gutters, you are risking water damage to your homeโs foundation,โ says Taylor Gardner, the owner of Taylor Gardner Gutters & Exteriors. โIf you have gutters and neglect them, thatโs actually more of a disadvantage, as you risk standing water collecting and building up right against your roof.โ
Taylor Gardner Gutters & Exteriors is a family-owned business with more than 31 years of experience in installing and repairing residential and commercial gutters. The business was first started in Lutz by Taylorโs father Ed Gardner, and was officially transitioned to Taylor (a Wharton High graduate) in 2019 after Ed passed away. In 2021, the business expanded and the office was moved to U.S. Hwy 41 in Land Oโ Lakes.
In addition to working on gutters, Taylor Gardner Gutters also can repair soffits and fascia, which are the supporting structures for gutters located behind the gutters and underneath the roof. The company also performs gutter cleanings and leaf guard installations, screen room installations, and even window replacements. Taylor Gardner Gutters can reroute underground water drainage away from a buildingโs foundation towards preferred locations, such as private ponds, sidewalks or sewers.
Taylor, a U.S. Marine for nine years who served in Iraq and later earned a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Business Administration from Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA, has been involved in the business since childhood. Assisting his dad in his youth, he remembers that the early days of the business consisted of โme and Dad and one truck and one trailer.โ Today, Taylor is the leader of five gutter crews and three soffit and fascia crews with 15 employees and 10-15 others in partnership. Improving water drainage around your home can have so many benefits.
โOur customersโ homes can vary from a 30-year-old house in New Tampa to a newly constructed house in Wesley Chapel to a mansion built over swamp land,โ says Taylor. โHouses settle over time, causing cracks in walls and stucco, allowing water to move underneath the house. Windows are intentional cracks in the foundation for light and ventilation, but mold and mildew can grow there too. With tiles and wooden floors, spots can pop up as water gets in. Sometimes swamps are drained, clay is put on top and homes are built on top of that, but the water table (the boundary between groundwater and dry land) is already high, and it will move up in crevices.โ
He adds, โSometimes homes already have gutters, but they are neglected and thatโs actually a worse situation. Blocked gutters keep standing water against the house, weighing the gutters down with hundreds or even thousands of pounds of water, leaves and debris easily. That can lead to cracked fascia and roof leaks.โ
Taylor also says that gutters can even add unexpected aesthetic appeal. Copper gutters can last up to 100 years and add a beautiful shining element to the outside of the home. Half-round gutters were more common in older homes and can add a more traditional look. Rain guards are alternatives to gutters that use long chains to redirect rainfall. With more than 20 different colors to choose from, your gutter color and style can vary from subtle to bold.
While the company serves locations in Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, Hernando, and Polk counties, Taylor says, โHillsborough and Pasco counties are our bread and butter.โ In fact, as Hillsborough and Pasco counties continue to grow, Taylor says his business is growing right alongside them.
โWe work directly with GL Homes, the builders for The Ridge and Winding Ridge communities in Wesley Chapel,โ he says, โand with the new construction by the former Pebble Creek golf course, to install all of the gutters for their properties.โ
Taylor recommends spring as the best time to consult a gutter professional, especially for gutter cleaning. Taylor Gardner Gutters offers free gutter estimates. In anticipation of the rainy season from May to October, the company currently is offering a special rate of 15% off leaf guard products, such as Leaf Blaster Pro and Leaf Relief, which can block leaves and debris from entering gutters and creating blockages.
โGutters are the least expensive upgrade you can do to improve the value of your house,โ says Taylor. โIt generally costs less than painting your whole home, getting floors done, or getting new landscaping.โ
Taylor Gardner Gutters & Exteriors is located at 6202 Land OโLakes Blvd. The office is open Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-5 p.m. For more info, visit TaylorGardnerGutters.com, call (813) 515-0844, see the ad on pg. 39 or visit the companyโs pages on Facebook and Instagram.
New Tampa Will Help Decide City Council Runoffs Apr. 25!
In March, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor easily defeated a write-in opponent and New Tampaโs District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera was re-elected without opposition to serve four more years, but that doesnโt mean that New Tampa residents have no reason to go to the polls for the City of Tampa Runoff Election on Tuesday, April 25.ย
In fact, Viera says that much more important than who you vote for is that you need to get out and vote. He says that no matter how hard he is willing to fight on City Council to fulfill โ and fund โNew Tampaโs needs, our communityโs usually lower-than-the-rest-of-the-city voter turnout makes it harder for him to get things done.
โNew Tampa has traditionally been considered somewhat apathetic when it comes to voting and that does make it harder for me to get other Council members to support the needs of this community.โ
The numbers bear out Vieraโs claims of voter apathy. In the 2019 Municipal Election, which included a hotly contested race for Mayor, the citywide turnout was 20.56%, but in New Tampaโs 17 precincts, it was only 16.8%. In the Runoff Election in Apr. 2019, which included the mayoral runoff won by Mayor Castor over David Straz, the turnout was even higher โ 23.2% citywide and a reasonable 18.5% across New Tampaโs 17 precincts.
In this yearโs Municipal Election, where Castor faced only write-in candidate (and New Tampa resident) Belinda Noah (whose name did not appear on the ballot), the citywide turnout was only 13.65%, but the turnout in New Tampaโs 21 precincts was less than half of that, at only 6.5%.
Viera says that despite the fact that there are only three citywide City Council seats โ Districts 1, 2 and 3 (plus the District 6 runoff between current Dist. 2 Council member Charlie Miranda and Hoyt Prindle) โ being contested at this yearโs Runoff Election, he expects a citywide turnout of about 12%.
Viera says it would be great if New Tampa could beat that percentage at the runoff, and he says everyone should check out the campaign websites and social media pages of each of the six candidates shown on this page and cast votes for those who seem to best align with their own political philosophies.
Hereโs a quick rundown of the three races in which New Tampa is eligible to vote:
District 1 โ Dr. Sonja P. Brookins vs. Alan Clendenin
Dr. Brookins, a long-time educator, has served two years as an elected supervisor with the Hillsborough Soil & Water Conservation District and has been endorsed by the Democratic Progressive Caucus of Tampa Bay.
Clendenin, who has served in multiple positions for Democratic committees (including first vice chair of the Florida Democratic Party), was a long-time air traffic control professional. He has been endorsed by the Tampa Bay Times, La Gaceta and Creative Loafing newspapers, the Tampa Police Benevolent Assn. and Tampa Firefighters 754 union, New Tampaโs State Rep. Fentrice Driskell, the Sierra Club and LGBTQ Victory Fund.
District 2 โ Robin Lockett vs. Guido Maniscalco
Lockett is the former president of the Hillsborough Democratic Black Caucus who has been a regular advocate for vulnerable people at City Council meetings, as well as an organizer with the Florida Rising progressive social advocacy group. She has been endorsed by Creative Loafing.
Maniscalco, the two-term Dist. 6 Council member (and current vice chair) who is running in Dist. 2 because of term limits, has been endorsed by the Tampa Bay Times, the Greater Tampa Realtors, Tampa Firefighters 754, the Sierra Club and Equality Florida.
District 3 โ Janet Cruz vs. Lynn Hurtak
Cruz, the former State Sen. who lost a tough race to Jay Collins in Nov., has been endorsed by the Tampa Bay Times, Mayor Castor and former Mayor Bob Buckhorn.
Hurtak, the Dist. 3 incumbent, has been endorsed by Creative Loafing, La Gaceta, Florida LGBTQ+, Florida Rising, the Tampa Bay Progressive Caucus and Muslims for Democracy & Fairness.