Although the results of the Apr. 25 City of Tampa Municipal runoff elections have been known for about a month as you’re receiving this, I know that no other local media has told you how the candidates fared in New Tampa’s 22 voting precincts in the three citywide (or “at large”)City Council runoff elections.
No, there was no runoff in the race for Tampa Mayor, as Jane Castor was elected to a second term by about 81%-19% over write-in candidate (and New Tampa resident Dr. Belinda Noah in the Mar. 7 Municipal Election.
New Tampa’s local District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera also was officially reelected because he had no opponent on Mar. 7.
However, four City Council races had to be decided at the runoff election on Apr. 25, including in single-member Dist. 6, but New Tampa residents were not allowed to vote in that race.
On the other hand, New Tampa voters were asked to help decide the winners of the three citywide races — Alan Clendenin over Sonja Brookins in Dist. 1, Guido Maniscalco over Robin Lockett in Dist. 2 and Lynn Hurtak over Janet Cruz in Dist. 3 — but very few of you went to the polls.
In fact, while citywide voter turnout for the runoff election was an abysmal 10.76%, New Tampa’s turnout was even worse, as only about 7% of the nearly 35,000 registered voters in zip code 33647’s 22 precincts cast a ballot, whether in-person, by mail, early or provisional.
Even so, there were a couple of interesting results from the runoff, as Clendenin — who beat Brookins by 64.5%-35.5% citywide — did not fare quite as well in New Tampa, where he won by a 62.1%-37.9% margin in New Tampa, winning 12 of the 21 local precincts.
Meanwhile, Maniscalco — who topped New Tampa resident Robin Lockett 61.9%-38.1% citywide — still beat Lockett by a 60%-40% split in her home districts, despite each candidate earning more votes in 11 of the 22 districts.
The surprise of the citywide runoffs was that the incumbent in citywide Dist. 3 Lynn Hurtak beat former State Senator Janet Cruz 60.3%-39.7%, who outraised Hurtak in campaign contributions by more than 2-to-1 ($215,000+-$106,000), so easily. The other surprise was that the trend was reversed in New Tampa, as Cruz won 16 of New Tampa’s 22 districts and by a total margin of 52.4%-47.6%.
I have nothing to attribute Cruz’s local win to, other than the fact she ran ads in this publication, while Hurtak did not (only half-kidding). Take note, future candidates!
As you can see in the ad on the left, Azteca d’Oro is set to host its Grand Opening in the space (at 2000 Piazza Ave.) at the Shops at Wiregrass previously occupied by Cantina Laredo on Saturday, June 24, with a mariachi band, indoor and outdoor bar with cocktails and more. Azteca d’Oro promises a truly authentic Mexican cuisine experience in an upscale, but still casual atmosphere. For more info, visit AztecaDOro.com.
Crazy Sushi Is Open!
Until Azteca opens, you probably should try the new Crazy Sushi Wiregrass at the Shops. Crazy Sushi is more than just another replacement for the several restaurants that have opened and gone out of business at 28152 Paseo Dr., #150 — it’s a much larger (having also taken over an adjacent store), real sit-down restaurant that just happens to also offer all-you-care-to-eat lunch (for $22.95 per person; available Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m.-3 p.m. only) and dinner (and Sat.-Sun. lunch, for $32.95) Japanese cuisine that, based on our first visit, is well worth the price.
The sushi (the photo is of a tasty sushi sampler that isn’t on the menu) is really fresh, the appetizers (including gyoza dumplings, tempura veggies, fried chicken karaage, etc.) and lo mein are spot-on and the hibachi sirloin steak and chicken are both of a higher quality than what we’re used to getting at Ginza or Koizi. And. the premium full-liquor bar offers full-sized drinks at lower-than-mall prices.
For more information, call (813) 991-8989 or visit CrazySushiWesleyChapel.com and please tell our friend Edgar behind the bar that we sent you!
Johnny C’s Italian Eatery Has Opened On Cross Creek Blvd.!
The new Johnny C’s Italian Eatery has been open at 10970 Cross Creek Blvd., Suite A (on Morris Bridge Rd.), in the former location of Precinct Pizza, since May 15, and the reaction to the food, the family atmosphere and the service have so far been pretty great.
Johnny C’s, named for Johnny Ciaccio, the father of former Saddlebrook Resort GM Pat Ciaccio, is a partnership between Ciaccio and former Saddlebrook owner Tom Dempsey and Erik Ravenna, a trained chef who worked for years in food and beverage (among other jobs) at the resort.
The restaurant, which is open for lunch and dinner (11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.) daily, features New York-style pizza (like the Margherita pizza shown top), plus a variety of Northern Italian comfort foods, from lasagna to chicken parmigiana, Italian meatballs (left) & more.
“One thing we noticed,” Ravenna told me during the Johnny C’s Friends & Family pre-opening, “is that (the other Italian restaurants in) this area doesn’t have a big variety of seafood options. We all do linguini with clams, but Johnny C’s also has shrimp marinara (shown being prepared above), parmigiana and scampi, as well as a spicy fra diavlo and even a frutti di mare (aka ‘Fruits of the Sea,’ right) with shrimp, mussels, clams and calamari over linguini.” (There’s also a mussels Posillipo appetizer.)
Ciaccio added, “We want everyone who visits Johnny C’s to feel like family. My dad owned restaurants his entire adult life and we lost him a few years ago, so Johnny C’s is a tribute to him.” To which Ravenna added, “He would have loved to have been the ‘mayor’ here.” For info, call (813) 278-8020, visit JohnnyCsItalianEatery.com.
Blush Champagne Bar Is Open!
The Blush Champagne & Cocktail Bar (photo above), the second establishment at the KRATE Container Park (the other is the nearly adjacent Blush Wine Room) owned by Felicia and Nimesh Desai, is an intimate, upscale champagne bar serving sparkling wine from both near and far, champagne cocktails and martinis, and a dozen frozen cocktails, with plans to serve food starting this summer.
“Until then, you can grab food from the Blush Wine Room and drinks from either of our locations,” Felicia says. “And, just like at our original location, the Champagne & Cocktail Bar will have wines and cocktails you won’t find anywhere else.” For more info about the Blush Wine Room or Champagne & Cocktail Bar, call (813) 428-6247 or visit BlushWineRoom.com.
Provisions To Add A 3rd Location?
Meanwhile, Provisions Coffee & Kitchen, which was the first tenant to open in the KRATE Container Park, has announced that it will open a second Wesley Chapel location (Provisions also has a New Tampa location at 2816 E. Bearss Ave.) in a new plaza on BBD Blvd. that is home to Abdoney Orthodontics. For more info, visit either currently open Provisions location or ProvisionsCoffeeFL.com.
Pat Ciaccio & Nova Mahoney at the Apr. 18 Community Café news conference at the Hilton Garden Inn. (Photos provided by Kat Mahoney)
At least 30 people — including adults with learning disabilites and their families — were on hand on April 18 when former Saddlebrook Resort general manager Pat Ciaccio and his team presented his 501(c)(3) nonprofit passion project — which he calls the Community Café.
The Café, which is scheduled to open on June 15, is 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. The community/media preview was held at the Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel.
“The Community Café will create welcoming spaces and provide workforce training opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” Ciaccio told those in attendance at the media preview. “I 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.”
The Community Café will be home to a gourmet coffee bar and also will sell ice cream and smoothies and also will feature a retail shop selling T-shirts, coffee mugs and other branded merchandise. The Café also will feature 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 physically, intellectually and developmentally disabled professional artists affiliated with Arts4All Florida.
Sandra Sroka, of Arts4All Florida, which will provide disabled artists’ artwork at the Café.
Appearing at the news conference was Sandra Sroka, the adult program coordinator of Arts4All, who said that she believes the public will be impressed by the quality of the rotating artwork that will be on display at the Café.
Ciaccio said there also will be entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights featuring performers with special needs. He added that the event space will be available for use by community organizations.
Best of all, each area of the Community Café will have its own “team leader” among the “Shining Stars,” which is what all of the employees will be called. Only Ciaccio himself and the Café’s top management will not have special needs.
One of those special needs folks — who you would never know was even on the autism spectrum and who joined Ciaccio at the news conference — was Nova Mahoney, who admitted that without the help she has received in her life, she’d “never be able to speak in front of a large group of people.” Nova also said that what Ciaccio and those who are helping him get the Community Café kicked off are doing, “Is just so important for people like me that I knew, from when I first met Pat, that I wanted to be part of it.”
Ciaccio also told those in attendance that the Shining Stars will deliver a high-quality food and beverage experience with exceptional guest service in a tranquil, family-oriented, “Team Greater Than Me” environment.
He also said that his goal is to provide cohesive and inclusive workforce training that will offer true advancement opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. “We truly are looking to change the current narrative about special needs adults from awareness to education,” Pat said. “The narrative must be changed.”
Ciaccio isn’t alone in his passion to help those with special needs.
Community Café COO Kat Mahoney;
Among the others he introduced at the news conference were Nova’s mom Kat Mahoney of Katbrat Studios (which specializes in digital media and content creation), who has accepted the position of chief operating officer of the Community Café; John Lombardo of Lombardo Coaching & Consulting; and Darlene Hill of The Leyda Group (which specializes in leadership coaching and human resources consulting). In fact, Kat says, “I’m so dedicated to the Community Cafe because it’s everything that drives me forward in both my personal and professional life” said Mahoney. “Every business decision, every IEP school meeting, every educational and mental health speaking engagement I’ve done over 20 years, has led me to the Community Cafe.”
As reported last issue, the Community Café also will be led and mentored by a five-person Board of Directors, including Dr. Alexis Dempsey-Doyle, Jodi Gordon, Wasim Kayal, Seth Ravenna and Dr. Mohamad Saleh.
Ciaccio and his leadership team thanked the Hilton Garden Inn and its GM Charlie Whiteacre for graciously agreeing to host the news conference.
“I also would like to thank all my partners and community members who already have reached out to lend support,” Ciaccio said. “It takes a village but together, I know that we can change the narrative!”
There have been no fewer than a half-dozen different North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbon-cutting events in Wesley Chapel since the middle of April.
The events in questions include:
• Dietrich & Kelso Orthodontics (in the former location of Abdoney Orthodontics) on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., across from AdventHealth Wesley Chapel on Apr. 13;
• Totally Blu Pools off S.R. 54 near Morris Bridge Rd. on Apr. 20;
• Ann’s Spa & Nails Lounge off S.R. 56 (next to Chicken Salad Chick), also on Apr. 20;
• The five-year Anniversary Celebration for The Beach House at Wiregrass assisted living & memory care on S.R. 56 on Apr. 21;
• The groundbreaking of Blue Heron Senior Living’s skilled nursing facility expansion on Apr. 26;
• The one-year anniversary celebration for the Budget Blinds “inspiration center” at the KRATE container park on May 5;
• The ribbon cutting event for Nuevo Salon & Spa on BBD, also on May 5.
Dietrich & Kelso — With its main office in Lakeland and six total doctors in what is now a five-office practice (and four orthodontists working out of its Wesley Chapel office; photo below left), the new Dietrich Kelso Orthodontics is one of the largest orthodontic practices in our area. Led by Dr. Andrew Dietrich (in light blue short in the photo below) and Dr. Andrew Kelso (with scissors), the office promises outstanding doctors and a friendly staff in a state-of-the-art office that offers a variety of treatments — including Invisalign, clear braces, metal braces and laser gum contouring.
For more information about Dietrich & Kelso Orthodontics (2653 BBD Blvd.), call (813) 921-9211 or visit DKOSmiles.com.
Totally Blu Full Service Pools — Owners Sunil Mohammed and Rashmi Maharaj have owned their highly respected mobile pool service and repair company for years, but their storefront in the Publix plaza off S.R. 54 at Eiland Blvd./Morris Bridge Rd. is their first-ever brick-and-mortar location.
The store has everything you need to enjoy your pool — from chemicals and equipment to toys — and they also are happy to send their mobile unit to your home to service, repair or even remodel your pool, and even offer commercial pool services, too. The same location also doubles as the storefront for the couple’s Totally Green Lawn Services.
For more info about Totally Blu Pools (32781 Eiland Blvd.), call (813) 788-7665, visit TotallyBluH2o.com.
Ann’s Spa & Nails Lounge — Although some people in our area complain about the number of nail spas there are here, people who attended the salon’s ribbon-cutting event (middle photo, right) who already were customers of the new Ann’s Spa & Nails Lounge definitely seem to appreciate the luxury, value and outstanding manicure and pedicure services.
Owner Annie Lam (in light blue in photo) invited attendees to enjoy not only great deals on her spa’s outstanding services, but also some homemade Vietnamese egg rolls, fried rice and more.
Ann’s Spa & Nails Lounge is located at 25032 Wesley Chapel Blvd, Lutz. For more info, call (813) 949-6663 or visit annspanailswesleychapel.com.
Beach House at Wiregrass Ranch — This NTBC ribbon-cutting ceremony was just part of an outstanding five-year anniversary celebration for the assisted living and memory care residence.
The first such facility located in Wesley Chapel, executive director Bonnie Berkman (with scissors below right) invited the Beach House’s residents and guests to enjoy delicious free food and beverages and DJ music and got to check out the immaculate assisted living residence together.
To arrange a tour of your own or for more info about the Beach House at Wiregrass Ranch (30070 S.R. 56), call (813) 508-6677 or visit BeachHouseWiregrass.com.
Nuevo Salon & Spa — Owner and medical practitioner Agnes Ubani, MD, introduced NTBC members to her new spa (in the same plaza as Dietrich & Kelso and The Hungry Greek; photo top of page ), which actually opened in March. The spa features a variety of state-of-the-art clinical equipment and cosmetic procedures — everything from facials and Botox to medical weight loss, body contouring and more — with licensed massage to be added in the future.
For more information or to book a consultation, call (813) 559-9790 or visit NuevoHealthMD.com.
As the husband-and-wife team of Timmy Pham and Tiffany Ha celebrate the sixth anniversary of the original Wesley Chapel location of their Touch Nail Spa, they have continued to grow by opening new salons, expanding their services, and remaining committed to providing the best possible customer service to keep their clients raving.
Touch Nail Spa’s Wesley Chapel location is 5,000 sq. ft. — the largest nail salon in the area — and conveniently located on S.R. 56, about a mile east of I-75, in the same plaza as Capital Tacos. That location alone employs 44 people.
In December 2020, the second Touch Nail Spa opened in The Village at Hunter’s Lake, in the same plaza with Sprouts Farmers Market off Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in New Tampa. It’s a convenient location with abundant parking and now has more than 30 employees.
“When we opened our first location, we had 10 people working,” Timmy says. “We’ve grown so much.”
And now, Touch Nail Spa has expanded again — as a third location has opened in Odessa at 16222 S.R. 54.
But, Timmy and Tiffany say it’s not important that they are the biggest salon in the area. What they really strive for is to be the best.
“We try to give the best customer service we can,” says Timmy. “There are so many nail salons, and they learn from us and copycat what we’re doing.”
Touch Nail Spa offers beautiful, upscale, serene surroundings with high ceilings for better ventilation, rows of comfortable leather pedicure chairs and plenty of manicure stations to minimize the wait time.
A complimentary beverage is offered with any service, including manicures, pedicures, eyelash extensions, waxing, facials and massages. Complimentary beverages include bottled water, soda, or a glass of chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, moscato or sangria, served in a chilled glass (wine is for adults ages 21 and older with proper identification, of course).
Want To Try Something New?
As for new services, the Wesley Chapel location now offers microblading, a semi-permanent treatment to fill in eyebrows, and Timmy is hoping to expand that service to the New Tampa location, as well.
In addition, all three Touch locations now offer eyelash extensions with many options to fit a variety of budgets.
Whether you’re looking for a simple mani/pedi to keep your fingers and toes neat and polished, a relaxing spa experience with luxurious touches, or a skilled technician to provide the latest trends in nail shapes and designs, Touch Nail Spa can accommodate every desire.
Touch offers dipping powder, acrylic nails and all kinds of nail designs, French manicures, gel polish (which lasts longer than regular polish) and more.
Timmy says each location has always had thousands of colors on hand, but has recently added many more, so the salon is now carrying even more colors than it had prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. He estimates Touch now boasts 3,500+ colors.
But, like so many other business owners have experienced, the pandemic left its mark on Touch Nail Spa.
“We’re so glad Covid is gone,” Timmy says. “The pandemic destroyed a lot.”
While some people still wear masks, restrictions have eased. However, the stringent cleaning protocols that were in place prior to the pandemic are still being utilized at Touch, to ensure the health and safety of clients and employees.
“It seems like people are back to normal,” he explains. “They don’t mind sitting closer now.”
Also back are private nail parties. While all three locations will accommodate groups, only Wesley Chapel can provide a private room for the exclusive use of your gathering, whether it’s for bachelorette parties, birthday parties or bridal/wedding parties. Although they didn’t require a private room, Jannah and her daughters Kristen and Lauren, daughter-in-law Caitlin and Kristen’s boyfriend Chaz each enjoyed a different manicure — from Orange Burst to Strawberries & Cream to basic — and everyone raved about their service, relaxing foot massages and nail techs.
Timmy says long-time customers have noticed that the salon had no choice but to change its prices after the pandemic. Just as costs have risen for consumers, he says they have risen slightly for Touch Nail Spa, too. He says supplies cost twice what they did prior to the pandemic.
“It gives me a headache,” he says. “I want to be fair with all of the customers and with the technicians, but everything has changed.”
Touch Nail Spa does offer a rewards program for its regular clients. Be sure to ask about it when you visit any of the salons. Customers sign in with their phone number on one of the spa’s iPads and receive one point for every dollar spent. Points can be redeemed for a discounted pedicure, according to current terms.
Discounted prices also are available for children ages 11 and younger.
Timmy says while he works to keep prices affordable, what he wants most is to please his customers. He promises that at Touch Nail Spa, you will always be serviced by an experienced technician whose goal is to make the customer happy.
“What does the community want us to provide for them?,” he asks. “Come in and tell us what you need.”
Touch Nail Spa offers an electronic gift certificate for all occasions — including Mother’s Day — that can be used at any of its locations. E-gifts are available for purchase at TouchNailAndSpa.com.
The Wesley Chapel (27233 S.R. 56) and New Tampa (8630 Hunter’s Village Rd.) Touch Nail Spas are both open Mon.-Sat., 9:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m., and 11 a.m.–5 p.m. on Sun. To make an appointment with a specific nail technician or for more information about the Wesley Chapel location, call (813) 973-4111. For the New Tampa location, call (813) 536-1003.
