Family-Owned Prime Barbershops To Add A Third Location In 2024! 

Men, children and even women receive outstanding cuts from licensed barbers at both Prime Barbershop locations. (Photo by Charmaine George) 

Three years ago in The Grove Shopping Center in Wesley Chapel, Prime Barbershop was born. It was intended by its co-owner and Wesley Chapel resident Edward Velasquez as a meaningful place for family and business to intertwine seamlessly. Ed wanted to create a place where men could enjoy a cut and a shave, and moms could feel safe bringing their sons or even their daughters for their haircuts. His goal was to build long-term relationships. 

Ed explains that he aimed to create something different when he started thinking about building a new business for his family. 

“We didn’t want to be just another barbershop opening up in the area,” he says. “We wanted a location that stood out, that when people walked in, they’d say, ‘This is really cool-looking.’ We wanted to elevate the barber shop game. We created an atmosphere that’s really inviting. We don’t tolerate loud music or foul language. We hold our barbers to a really high standard. From day one, we were going to turn the industry on its edge and say we can have an upscale barber shop in the area and cater to those clients who want a different experience.” 

This vision for excellence has since expanded to a second Prime Barbershop location at the Publix-anchored Livingston Marketplace on County Line Rd. (at Livingston Ave.) in Lutz. A third location will open in the new Downtown Avalon Park Wesley Chapel on S.R. 54 in early 2024. 

How It All Got Started 

The journey began when Ed observed Omar diligently working as a barber for someone else. Recognizing the talent and passion within the family, an idea took root — why not establish a barber shop where his son-in-law could showcase his skills and become a partner in the venture? 

(Right, l.-r.) Ed & Melinda Velasquez, Kristi & Omar Lugo. 
(Photo provided by Ed Velasquez) 

Omar says he fell in love with barbering at a young age and started experimenting by cutting his friends’ hair in high school. After graduation, he attended technical school, received his barber’s license, and has now been a professional barber for seven years. 

“I just knew it was something I wanted to do,” Omar says. 

Ed explains, “I knew Omar was cutting for another barbershop. It’s always challenging working for another business. You don’t know what the expectations are. I wanted him and my daughter (Kristi) to feel secure and have a place they can call their own without being part of someone else’s dream — and create our own.” 

Prime Barbershop offers haircuts, beard trims, shape-ups, hot towel shaves, head shaves and eyebrow trims, with discounts offered on haircuts and beard trims for seniors over 65. These barber shops are not the “boys club” shops of the past. Rather, they welcome everyone: men, children, as well as women seeking short haircuts, which Kristi often provides. 

“We love that moms feel comfortable bringing their children to the shop,” Ed says. “That speaks volumes to us because there are many places they don’t want to go or had bad experiences.” 

In the very beginning, the Prime Barbershop owners sat down with Mark Gold, the owner/developer of The Grove and learned about Mark’s innovative vision to not only reinvigorate a failing shopping complex but also to add a new concept now called KRATE Container Park at The Grove, which repurposed former shipping containers into a variety of locally-owned small businesses and restaurants. 

“It was a different concept I had never heard of, but I knew he was wholeheartedly invested in the place,” ED says. “We saw him come and start cleaning up, painting and landscaping.” 

And, even though Ed and Omar didn’t open their Prime Barbershop in the KRATEs, he definitely has benefited from the success of the adjacent container park. 

“I was sold on the location and the growth of the area; it was kind of a no-brainer that we had to jump in and get a spot here before someone else did.” 

Fast forward three years, and the impact of this decision is evident in the bustling success of the original Prime Barbershop. With its warm ambiance, skilled barbers and commitment to providing superior service, the shop quickly gained a loyal clientele. The Wesley Chapel community embraced the concept of a family-centric barber shop, where personalized attention and a sense of belonging are as much a part of the experience as the perfect haircut. 

Ed says, “First and foremost, we really want to thank all of our loyal clientele, which has helped us grow since opening our doors in 2020. We’re now celebrating our third anniversary at our location in The Grove. We’re really thankful to the clients and for building the shop to where it is today and for their continued patronage, as well as to all the barbers who have helped make it happen.” 

The glowing Yelp and Google reviews prove that Prime Barbershop’s clientele is so loyal because the service and the staff are top-notch. 

Client Brandon Scruton’s glowing 5-star review on Google says, “Steven is a fantastic barber! I have been going to him for over a year now and have never had any issues. He also lines up my beard perfectly. I have started bringing in my one-and-a-half-year-old in for a cut and he is amazing with kids! He takes his time to make my kid feel comfortable and always talks to him throughout the process. If you are looking for a great barber, definitely go to Steven!” 

Every Prime Barbershop barber has received similar reviews, so you really can’t go wrong! 

Keeping Up With Industry Trends 

Prime Barbershop’s licensed barbers create new content and regularly follow social media to keep up with the latest trends. 

“We’re seeing that the trends make a loop and come back around,” Omar says. “We’re seeing a lot of kids coming in for a mullet or comb-over. Social media is what keeps us in the loop.” 

Ed adds that the biggest trend since the pandemic is the return of beards. 

“It’s no longer just getting a haircut, but beard trims,” he says. “Keeping your beard good and healthy. Beard care is probably the biggest trend in the last three years.” 

Thanks to the success of the Wesley Chapel location, Ed made sure that the new Prime Barbershop copied the flagship location, integrating the same ethos of a modern barber shop with old-fashioned charm, making sure that each customer feels more like family than just a client. 

Ed says he chose the Publix shopping center location because the owner of the plaza did not want a typical salon franchise. 

“They saw what we were doing at The Grove and the upscale type of barbershop that we are,” Ed explains. 

Looking ahead to 2024, anticipation is building for the grand opening of the third establishment in Avalon Park. With the lessons learned from the first two locations, Ed and Omar envision a space that caters to the community’s grooming needs and becomes a focal point for connection and camaraderie. 

“We’ve been interested in Avalon Park since they first started talking about it in 2020,” Ed says. “We’re hoping to be in there by maybe February 2024. ‘Live, Work, Play’ is the theme of Avalon Park’s downtown in Orlando. We knew that if they created the same ‘feel’ in Wesley Chapel, that it would be very successful and a hub where people will come to do all of that.” 

As the Wesley Chapel shop’s three-year milestone is celebrated, it’s not just a celebration of a successful business venture but a testament to the power of family bonds and entrepreneurial spirit. The journey from a single barber shop in Wesley Chapel to a triad of establishments in three different areas exemplifies Ed and Omar’s commitment to quality, service, and the enduring strength that comes from blending together family and business. 

“We’re always looking to hire the best of the best,” Ed says. “We’ve created a culture that allows a very successful barber to come in and continue his process or for someone without as much experience to build up a good clientele as long as they are willing to put in the work and do what needs to be done.” 

In a world often dominated by impersonal experiences, the Prime Barbershops stand out as beacons of community, illustrating that a haircut can be more than just a trim — it can be an opportunity to forge connections, build relationships and create an enduring legacy. 

Ed says, “In any of our shops, you will be greeted the same. Everyone will be in uniform. The atmosphere is the same. Our shops have a vintage look to them. They are warm and inviting. We’ve created a culture that no matter which location you go to, it’s going to feel like it’s home.” 

When not busy running their shops, you will find the owners enjoying their downtime with their families: in Wesley Chapel, Ed and Melinda, his wife of 32 years, their two children and three grandchildren, and Omar in Dade City with his wife Kristi, and their two children. 

The original Prime Barbershop is located at 6027 Wesley Grove Blvd., Unit 206. The Lutz location is at 2747 E. County Line Rd. For more info, visit PrimeBarbersWC.com. 

Mac’s Custom Meats + Deli — A Sandwich Place ‘Disguised’ As A Butcher Shop! 

Dax (left) & Drew McLochlin invite you to visit Mac’s Custom Meats + Deli (store photo below) in the Grand Oaks Plaza on WC Blvd. in Lutz. (Photos by Charmaine George & Dax McLochlin) 

When Daxton (Dax) McLochlin and his brother Drew were kids, they used to stay at their Grandpa’s condo in the Saddlebrook Resort community when their family would visit Florida from their native Indiana. The McLochlin brothers loved visiting our area, with its much warmer climate and beautiful beaches a short drive away. 

The fresh certified Angus boneless (l.-r.) NY strip, filet mignon & ribeye steaks at Mac’s.

When Dax tore his arm up during his sophomore year at Huntington University in Indiana, he transferred to the University of South Florida hoping to walk on the baseball team. 

When that didn’t work out for him, Dax worked a number of sales jobs, while Drew got a job working for the Tampa Bay Bucs. 

The brothers had no idea at that time they would partner up with their entire family to open Mac’s Custom Meats + Deli in the Grand Oaks Plaza on Wesley Chapel Blvd. in Lutz. 

“We loved this place called Rick’s Custom Meats + Deli in Plant City,” Dax says, “so we modeled pretty much everything about our store after theirs, when we saw that the Wesley Chapel area didn’t really have a great meat market. Without Rick’s, none of this would even be possible.” 

Try Mac’s self-labeled sauces. 

Boneless certified Angus ribeye, NY strip and filet mignon steaks are the main stars in the Mac’s meat case and I can vouch for how delicious and tender all of those steaks are when you grill them. The meat case also features huge chicken breasts and wings, a variety of pork products (including beautiful chops and fresh bacon), as well as ground beef, Nathan’s Kosher-style hot dogs, beef jerky and more. 

Dax says that on the first Saturday of pretty much every month since the store opened, Mac’s has hosted a “Grill & Chill” event where Dax and Drew’s dad Mike grills one or more of those delicious meats and the store sells plates of them with a side of chips and a drink, “to introduce our customers to some of the different meat options we carry,” Dax says. 

To date, Jannah and I have enjoyed the hamburger, chicken and steak fajita and hot dog Grill & Chills, which also always feature one of Mac’s delicious self-branded sauces. Dax and I agree that the “Chick’n Dippin’ Sauce” is our favorite. 

But, What About The Deli? 
Everyone loves Mac’s fresh-pressed Cubans.

I’m so glad you asked. Mac’s, which opened with a different brand of sliced deli meats and cheeses for its sandwiches, switched over to Boar’s HeadÂź brand a few months ago, “because it seemed like pretty much everyone requested it,” Dax says. “We definitely sell a lot more sandwiches than meat. And, all of our customers really seem to love our pressed Cubans.” 

And, those Cubans come in a nice variety of options, including not only a traditional, with ham, pork, salami and Swiss cheese, but also turkey, ham & cheese and my favorite roast beef Cuban with Swiss (or provolone), all on fresh pressed Cuban bread. There also are “Mac Daddy” (with double the ham) and “Big Mac” (with double roast beef, turkey, ham and cheese) Cuban options. 

How about a freshly grilled steak sandwich?

You can even get grilled cheeseburgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken, pork and steak sandwiches at Mac’s. The grilled Boar’s Head pastrami and cheese pressed on Cuban bread also is a must-try, and all of the Boar’s Head meats and cheeses are available by the pound. There’s also tuna and egg salad, cole slaw, potato and macaroni salad available. And, all frozen meats are 30% off regular prices, with deeper discounts available on certain Wednesdays. 

“Drew and I also want to give a shout-out to our entire family — our dad Mike, mom Jessi, my wife Macaley and my young son Chance” for being so supportive of us during this journey,” Dax says. 

In other words, if you haven’t yet checked out Mac’s Custom Meats & Deli, please visit the clean, attractive shop soon — and please tell Dax and Drew we sent you! 

Mac’s Custom Meats + Deli (26316 Wesley Chapel Blvd.) is open Tues.-Fri., 11 a.m.-6 p.m., and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sat. It is closed Sun. & Mon. For more info, call (813) 428-6573, search “Mac’s Custom Meats + Deli” on Facebook. 

Shred360 Is Great, Both For Your Business & The Community! 

U.S. Army veteran Cam Caudle has been a franchise owner of Shred360 since 2015. (All photos provided by Shred360)

When Cam Caudle joined the U.S. Army after his college graduation in 1991, he didn’t want to be just an everyday soldier. He wanted to go above and beyond, so he set his goal high and became an Army Ranger. 

Now, as the franchise owner of Shred360, based in Wesley Chapel, he has been carrying that desire to reach higher into the business world. 

“We take a lot of pride in doing a great job for people and doing more than is expected of us,” Cam says. “People are happy to see us arrive, and my guys are phenomenal, so (our customers are) happy when we’re done, too.” 

Cam started his business in 2015 when his friends and fellow military veterans wanted to expand their South Carolina-based document-shredding business into Florida. He agreed to start a franchise in Wesley Chapel, where he lives. The franchise model hasn’t expanded, but Cam’s business surely has. 

Back then, his company was just him and one truck. Now, he has five trucks and a staff of three full-time drivers, a couple of part time drivers and a sales director, and the business covers the entire Tampa Bay area and then some — north to Gainesville, south to Port Charlotte, and east to Orlando. 

Shred360 provides primarily on-site document shredding and hard drive destruction for both businesses and individuals. 

Although Shred360 does have a drop-off option, Cam says, “Most of the time, we go to wherever the material is, whether that’s a home, business, or storage unit. From a security standpoint, it’s better that people can watch their documents be destroyed right in front of them.” He adds that although the destruction happens inside the truck, “it is visible on a screen.” 

When you utilize Shred360’s shredding service, your documents are loaded into a bin and the shredding machine allows you to see them destroyed. 

He also says that the alternatives to on-site shredding are far from ideal. You can either use a home office shredder, which is cumbersome and time consuming, or drop documents off at a store, where you’re often leaving them in a bin — for who knows how long and without any idea of who will have access to them until they are destroyed. 

Karen Wallace is practice administrator for Friendly Smiles Dental Care, with four locations in the Tampa area. She says she was one of Shred360’s first customers. 

“We needed an alternative to having shredders in our office,” Wallace says. “It was so loud and disruptive, and not really sufficient for the amount of paper we have to destroy, due to HIPAA regulations.” 

She adds that she’s continued to work with Shred360 because of Cam and the way he runs the company. 

“In business, it’s so refreshing to meet someone like him,” Karen says. “I’ve always been so impressed. If one of his guys is out for some reason, he comes out, driving the truck (himself).” 

She calls Cam the “consummate professional” and says everyone he hires follows in his footsteps. 

“When they come in, they’re quiet, they don’t interrupt any work, they say ‘hi’ politely and depart,” she says. “It’s like white glove service.” 

Medical offices such as Karen’s, along with law firms, credit unions, hospitals and other businesses with a lot of records that need to be destroyed, have ongoing service with Shred360, where documents are picked up on a regular basis, anywhere from once a week to once every twelve weeks. 

The other service is a one-time purge, although Cam says many of his clients purge again at a later date. 

Shred360 can accommodate everyone from residential customers with a few boxes to commercial customers with a full warehouse — and pretty much anything in between. 

“In the time it takes an employee to shred a box of documents at an office shredder,” Cam says, “we can do 250 pounds.” 

Before starting Shred360, Cam says he sold all kinds of things, from furniture to medical equipment, but he says none of those jobs were exactly the right fit. 

“I love what I do now,” he says. 

He appreciates the opportunity to make his customers happy — and you can’t argue with his results —of 630 Google reviews, 628 are five stars (out of five), and he insists that the two four-star reviews his business has received— from eight and five years ago, respectively — should have been five stars, too. 

Giving Back 
When Shred360 hosts a charity shredding event, you line up in your car, your documents are shredded and you make a donation to the event’s selected charity. 

Cam also sees his business as a way to both give back to the community and set an example for his children and stepchildren. He and Ines, his wife of three years, have five children between the two of them. 

Shred360 does a charitable event every month, where they set up like a drive through lane at a particular location. People pull up next to the truck, stay in their car, have their documents shredded while they wait, and then make a donation to the selected charity. 

In nine years, Cam says Shred360 has raised more than $70,000 for organizations that are doing good things in the community, including the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, Community Food Pantry, and the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. 

“These events are important for serving the community where I live,” he says, “We’re busy, so sometimes it’s hard to fit those in, but they’re important, so we still do them.” 

To find out about upcoming charity shredding events, visit Shred360.com/Tampa or “Shred360Tampa” on Facebook. 

Cam also has been a long-time member of the Rotary Club of New Tampa, which meets on Friday mornings at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club, and in 2021, he was one of the co-founders (and is still a Board member) of the New Tampa Rotary’s After Hours Satellite Club. He says that Rotary gives him another outlet to volunteer, support the community, and show his kids the importance of serving others. 

It goes back to those early lessons he learned in the Army. He started active duty two weeks after graduating from Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, in 1991 on a Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) scholarship, and stayed in active duty until 1996. 

“I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now, if not for the Army,”Cam says. Not only is that where he met the owners of Shred360, but also because of the values that have carried over from that experience to his business. 

“Doing things with integrity, doing more than what’s expected,” he says, “My motto is. ‘When you think you’ve done enough, do more./” 

He’s proud that Shred360 has won “Business of the Year” through the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce and that he has also been honored as its volunteer of the year. 

For a price quote on a one-time purge of documents for your home or business, or if you would like information about setting up ongoing service, call Shred360 at (813) 944- 2223, visit Shred360.com/Tampa. 

Congratulations To Wesley Chapel’s Teacher Of The Year Nominees! 

For the 2023-24 school year, local schools have chosen nominees for the Pasco School District’s countywide awards. 

Three Teacher of the Year nominees — one each from the District’s elementary, middle and high schools — and one School Related Personnel (SRP) nominee will be surprised by Pasco school superintendent Kurt Browning with the announcement that they have been chosen as a countywide winner later this year. 

Each public and charter school throughout the District, including all of the schools in Wesley Chapel, nominated candidates for consideration. The people named on these pages were recognized by their peers on their respective campuses for their outstanding contributions to their schools. Congrats to all! 

Editor’s Note — We had not received the Teacher/SRP of the Year info for Union Park Academy or Innovation Prep at our press time. 

Double Branch Elementary 

Teacher of the Year: Debra Hodros, Kindergarten (photo) 

School-Related Personnel of the Year: Jill Galvis 

New River Elementary 

Teacher of the Year: Brianna Warren (photo) 

School-Related Personnel of the Year: Maria Zamora 

Quail Hollow Elementary 

Teacher of the Year: Robin Stead, Kindergarten (photo) 

School-Related Personnel of the Year: Wendy Bibbey, Instructional Assistant 

Sand Pine Elementary 

Teacher of the Year: Heather Forsman, 2nd Grade (right) 

SRP of the Year: Bailey Glover, ESE Instructional Assistant (left) 

Seven Oaks Elementary 

Teacher of the Year: Danielle Bullara, 3rd Grade (right) 

School-Related Personnel of the Year: Andrea Long, Kindergarten Instructional Assistant (left) 

Veterans Elementary 

Teacher of the Year: Bridget Aubuchont, 4th Grade, PLC Facilitator, New Teacher Leader 

School-Related Personnel of the Year: Cristin Becker, Bookkeeper 

Watergrass Elementary 

Teachers of the Year: Pam Armstrong, 1st Grade (left) & Jenna Huetten, 3rd Grade (right ) 

School-Related Personnel of the Year: Tracy France, Instructional Assistant 

Wesley Chapel Elementary

Teacher of the Year: Aveon Moon (photo) 

School-Related Personnel of the Year: Beth Kurland 

Wiregrass Elementary 

Teacher of the Year: Heather Olds, 5th Grade STEM Teacher (left) 

School-Related Personnel of the Year: Jamie Zuzek, Guidance Secretary (right) 

Cypress Creek Middle School

Teacher of the Year: Justin Santiago, Language Arts, PLC Facilitator, New Teacher Liaison, Prof’l Development Coordinator (left in photo) 

School-Related Personnel of the Year: Tami Milner, Data Entry Operator 

John Long Middle School

Teacher of the Year: Porsche Alderman (photo) 

School-Related Personnel of the Year: Loretta Stephenson 

Thomas E. Weightman Middle School

Teacher of the Year: Adam Zondor, Art (photo) 

School-Related Personnel of the Year: Nadine Di Vittorio, Instructional Assistant 

Cypress Creek High 

Teacher of the Year: Warren Underwood, Theatre (left in photo) 

School-Related Personnel of the Year: Lorraine McKinney, Bookkeeper 

Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation (Charter School) 

Teacher of the Year: Stephanie Bertig, Digital Media/Multimedia (photo) 

School-Related Personnel of the Year: Juan Garcia, Custodian 

Wesley Chapel High 

Teacher of the Year: Jennifer Salter, 9th Grade English (pictured with her family) 

School-Related Personnel of the Year: Denise Garcia, School Registrar 

Wiregrass Ranch High 

Teacher of the Year: Tammy Williams, Assessment Coordinator (photo) 

School-Related Personnel of the Year: Jessica Jackson, Front Office Secretary/Sub Coordinator 

NTBC’s Award Winners Include AHWC, Avalon Park WC & Parks Ford 

Congratulations go out to all of this year’s “Excellence in Business” award winners and finalists from Wesley Chapel. The annual honors were presented by the North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC) at its awards gala held at TrebleMakers Dueling Piano Bar & Restaurant in The Grove on Nov. 17. 

Among this year’s award winners were Jennie Yingling of both Spinner Law and the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel, who was honored with the “Community Hero” award; Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, which took home the “Excellence in Innovation” award; and to Parks Ford and AdventHealth Wesley Chapel, which (no pun intended) shared the “Innovation in Collaboration” honors (the first-ever tie for an NTBC award, according to Chamber president & CEO Hope Kennedy). Other winners included Pepin Academy (“Inclusivity”) and SOF Missions (“Integrity”). 

Jennie Yingling (“Community Hero”)
Avalon Park Wesley Chapel (“Excellence in Innovation”)
Parks Ford (“Innovation in Collaboration”)
AdventHealth Wesley Chapel (“Innovation in Collaboration”)
Pepin Academy (“Inclusivity”)
SOF Missions (“Integrity”)