MOJO FUSION: Although it wasn’t quite open when we went to press (it is open as you’re reading this), Jannah and I were fortunate enough to be able to attend the Friends & Family pre-opening of Mojo Fusion, the Latin Fusion restaurant owned by Luis Ledezma and his family. Ledezma, who has years of experience in the food business, is from Venezuela, but promises that his menu at the first restaurant he has owned also includes Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican and even Argentinian-style dishes on its smallish — but delicious — menu.
We got to sample the super-tasty Argentinian-style Choripan chorizo sandwich shown above (the chimichurri sauce is legit) and the Cuban nachos (plantain chips topped with shredded pork, chicharrones, melted cheese, pico de gallo, cilantro aioli and fresh chopped cilantro), as well as the “fantastica” house-made red sangria. For more info, call (813) 406-5385 or visit MojoGrillLatinFusion.com.
*
*
MAEBERRY CO.: MaeBerry Co., the brainchild of Monica Russo, a Wesley Chapel resident who previously sold her baby clothes and accessories online only, opened the day before we went to press and I was so impressed with MaeBerry’s super-soft, breathable Hanlyn Collective Game-On bamboo pajamas that I bought a pair for my grandson Jackson (picture, right).
MaeBerry has lots of baby teethers, Itzy Ritzy diaper bags and so much more in one of the smallest spaces we’ve seen at the KRATEs that you really should check it out for yourself. For more information, visit MaeBerryCo.com or search “MaeBerry Co.” on Facebook.
*
*
EL PRINCE MEDITERRANEAN: Continuing our ongoing tour of the newest KRATEs to open at The Grove, El Prince Mediterranean, which has only had locations in Middle Eastern destinations like Dubai and Qatar, has opened its first U.S. location right here in Wesley Chapel.
I’ve only sampled a couple of items at El Prince so far, but both the meat shawarma (photo; which is delicious, marinated sliced ribeye beef roasted with Middle eastern spices, topped with onions and tahini sauce that I had them put on the side) and the El Prince salad (with dice lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, onions and a savory vinaigrette dressing) were super yummy.
El Prince also offers shish kebab (cubes of marinated lamb) and shish tawook (cubes of marinated chicken) platters, kofta kebabs (grilled, seasoned ground beef) and a mixed grill of all three, plus bone-in grilled chicken and the specialty of the house — roasted lamb shank, and more.
For the full menu and more info, search “El Prince Restaurant” on Facebook or visit ElPrinceRestaurants.com.
Other KRATEs that were hoping to open by the time this issue reached your mailbox but will likely take a little longer to open are The Bacon Boss (one of our favorite local food trucks, with amazing burgers and more, opening its first actual restaurant) and Palani’s Hawai’i Noodles, both of which are now planning to open sometime later this month.
Other KRATE restaurants getting ready to open over the next couple of months include Ato Sushi Burritos & Poké Bowls, Tasty Ramen, Boba Mac’s Tea & Eat, Tacos el Patron, TJ’s Hot Dogs, Flipn’ Fries Factory, Bakery X, Cafe Zorba and more. — GN
Lisa Feigel has owned Your CBD Store on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel since 2019, and says that new products and innovations are keeping her customers coming back. (Photos: John C. Cotey)
Lisa Feigel isn’t a doctor, but she can sound like one when helping a customer figure out what kind of CBD products will help with whatever problem they have.
With her extensive knowledge of CBD, or Cannabidiol, as well as one of the top-rated product lines to sell, Feigel says she can help just about anyone who walks through the door of her Your CBD Store in the Freedom Plaza on S.R. 54.
“I believe in CBD,” says Feigel, who opened her Wesley Chapel store in August 2019. “I believe in what it can do, and I think most people who try it will almost always come back again.”
CBD is related to tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the active ingredient in marijuana that produces the “high.”
CBD is derived from hemp, which is a variety of cannabis (as is marijuana), but with less than 0.3% of THC, and thus, does not produce any of the psychoactive effects. However, CBD still retains all of the medicinal benefits of cannabis, the uses of which go back thousands of years.
Considered a holistic product, CBD products are offered as full spectrum — which are generally stronger and contain no more than the legal limit of 0.3% THC — and broad spectrum, which have no THC at all.
Feigel’s SunMed CBD products have a wide range of effects on a wide range of maladies, from anxiety to sleep deprivation to pain management, and more. According to a recent New York Times story, Brightfield Group (a cannabis market research firm) conducted a survey of 5,000 people, revealing that 60 percent of CBD users have taken it for anxiety, followed by chronic pain, insomnia and depression.
“I have suffered intense paranoia and anxiety for most of my adult life,” says Sam Crook, one of Lisa’s regular customers. “Lisa was very VERY informative, patient, and just overall pleasant as she walked me through the options. Taking her advice, I purchased a few products and life has never felt better for me.”
By eliminating some of the things that had been holding him back, Crook says he has gotten a new lease on life with Your CBD Store products.
“With my anxiety and neuroses diminished, I feel more confident, more productive at my job and sleep better than I ever have,” says Crook, “Physically, I have more energy (than I’ve had) in years. These things are literal game changers.”
More and more people are experiencing the benefits of CBD. For a while, it was an uphill battle, as a stigma remained attached to CBD, due to its relationship with cannabis and hemp, and questions and doubts concerning the regulatory landscape.
But, more and more people keep walking proudly through the front door of Your CBD Store.
According to a story posted by Forbes.com, national CBD sales hit $4.6 billion in 2020 (just two years after hemp-derived cannabinoids were federally legalized), and some forecasters are predicting a U.S. market of roughly $20 billion by 2025.
For those who are intrigued but trepidatious, Lisa will do Tupperware-like home shows for those who want to learn, explore and sample in the privacy of their own homes.
Your CBD Store offers SunMed products that Lisa says “are second to none.” SunMed grows its hemp in Oregon and Colorado, and processes it in Palmetto, FL, at a large, new plant. The company uses CO2 extraction, which doesn’t require the heat than can cause CBD to lose some of its potency.
SunMed’s carcinogen-free products have the USDA Organic designation, and each label has a QR code, so users can see exactly what they are putting into their bodies.
“Ours is just so pure,” Lisa says, adding that other places that sell CBD, from Amazon to other brick-and-mortars, cannot make that claim.
A Tale Of Two Deltas
Delta 8, which was introduced last year, has been a big seller, and the newer Delta 9 is close behind. Both have THC, and Feigel is clear with customers that if they have to pass a drug test anytime soon, there are other options, like products with CBN and CBG.
Delta 9 can get you high and produce psychoactive effects, but does not require a medical marijuana card. The difference between Delta 9 and Delta 8 is just one particular chemical bond appearing on the eighth carbon molecule instead of the ninth.
The different chemical configuration makes Delta 8 less potent, and has been reported to provide users with a smoother “high” without the anxiety and paranoia associated with Delta 9. It has nearly the same positive effects of Delta 9, but fewer of the negative effects.
“Delta 8 was a big deal last year and really brought more people in to check us out,” Lisa says, adding that some of her customers have told her using Delta 8 has provided them with “the best sleep of their lives.”
Your CBD store offers both Deltas in gummies, water solubles, vaping cartridges and even pre-rolled for those who prefer to smoke it.
They are packaged as Above & Beyond, and are geared towards pain (sativa), relaxation and sleep (Indica), and a combination of both (hybrid). She doesn’t recommend either one if a customer is subject to drug tests or has one upcoming, because of the higher THC level.
CBG, or cannabigerol, and CBN, or cannabinol, also are products of cannabis, but CBN is THC-free and helps cause a drowsy effect that can aid with sleeping, while CBG is touted more for its potential therapeutic and anti-inflammatory effects.
Feigel calls it the “super momma of cannabinoids” and the topical pain cream version of it is one of her store’s best sellers.
Whether by cream, oil, gummy, water or vape, Lisa says her store offers multiple ways to get her CBD products into your system.
“Everyone has a preference,” Lisa says. “But really, there’s no wrong way of taking CBD. It’s just a matter of getting it in you.”
And, for those who might need a boost losing weight, there is now TRIM, a new offering that Lisa says is “amazing.”
She says TRIM is the only CBD weight-loss product on the market, adding that, “in a 90-day clinical study of 120 people, participants lost up to 18 pounds, six inches around the waist and eight points in their BMI (Body Mass Index).
TRIM features THC-V, which it says is a non-psychoactive compound in hemp known to naturally suppress your appetite (THC-D9, by contrast, causes appetite stimulation).
“There’s new stuff coming out all the time,” Lisa says. “TRIM has been very popular. It’s just another way that CBD can help make your life easier.”
And don’t forget Fido, aka the family pet. CBD has proven to be effective in relaxing pets who have anxiety and suffer on fireworks-friendly holidays. Your CBD Store has a variety of products, including the newest ones — Chillin’ Out (for relaxation) and Movin’ Easy (for mobility and aches and pains) broad spectrum hemp chews for dogs.
Your CBD Store Wesley Chapel is located at 30044 S.R. 54. It is open Monday.-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday. It is closed on Sunday. For more information, call (813) 536-0119, visit CBDrx4u.com/find-us/Florida/Wesley-Chapel or search “YourCBDStoreWesleyChapel” on Facebook.
Treat yourself to a royal experience in Touch Nail Spa’s queen-like thrones and wide variety of services provided by a friendly staff at either the Hunter’s Lake location on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. or in Wesley Chapel on S.R. 56. (Photos: Charmaine George)
Tomorrow, Touch Nail Spa on S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel will celebrate its fifth anniversary with a special event. The first 50 people at the Wesley Chapel location (not available at the New Tampa spa) when it opens at 11 a.m. will receive a free “Simple Touch” pedicure (a $27 value). Simple Touch is the spa’s basic pedicure that includes nail trimming, shaping and buffing, cuticle grooming, callus treatment, pineapple sugar scrub, hot towel wrap, lotion massage and polish with one of Touch Nail Spa’s 1,700 colors.
The husband-and-wife team of Timmy Pham and Tiffany Ha opened Wesley Chapel’s Touch Nail Spa in 2017. At that time, the Wesley Chapel location was 3,200 square feet, but the spacious, clean salon with great customer service soon saw a need to expand. Now, at 5,000 sq. ft., it is the largest nail salon in Wesley Chapel.
Timmy and Tiffany expanded their business again in December 2020 by opening the second Touch Nail Spa location in The Village at Hunter’s Lake, near Sprouts Farmers Market off Bruce B. Downs Blvd.
The pair is excited that later this spring, they will be launching yet another new location in the Odessa/Trinity area. That Touch Nail Spa is expected to open in mid-April.
The two current Touch Nail Spa salons both offer high ceilings for better ventilation, rows of comfortable leather pedicure chairs, plenty of manicure stations and a complimentary beverage with any manicure, pedicure or other services, including eyelash extensions, waxing, facials and massage. 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 age 21 and older with proper identification, of course).
While Timmy tells us social distancing is no longer required, the staff will gladly accommodate anyone who asks to be seated more than six feet away from others. For manicures, plexiglass partitions separate the technicians from their customers, with enough room on the bottom to slide your hands through.
“We want people to be comfortable,” Timmy says, explaining that while CDC guidelines have relaxed and many customers are no longer seeking social distancing, the salon still follows strict health and safety procedures to be sure all areas are always clean and disinfected. While this cleanliness has always been part of the Touch Nail Spa experience, it has been especially emphasized during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The most important thing people are looking for right now is that everything is clean and sanitized,” Timmy says.
The salon’s cleanliness and bright atmosphere is one of the reasons it has been so popular since it opened five years ago.
In addition to the Simple Touch Pedicure, Touch Nail Spa offers other services with an even more spa-like experience, including a variety of “Hot Touch” and “Organic Touch” pedicures, ranging from $47 to $62. These include a hot stone massage for your legs and feet, plus your additional treatments, such as specialized exfoliation for the bottom of your feet and a mask for your legs and heels. Timmy says the Orange Burst and Milk & Honey pedicures are among the services most requested by customers because of the excellent results they provide in leaving feet feeling soft and smooth.
Whether you prefer a simple mani/pedi to keep your fingers and toes neat and polished, or are looking for the perfect technician to provide the latest trend in nail shapes and designs, the experts at Touch Nail Spa can help.
At both locations, Touch Nail Spa offers dipping power, acrylic nails and all kinds of nail designs. French manicures and gel polish (which lasts longer than regular polish) are available. The color choices are seemingly limitless. Touch Nail Spa carries roughly 1,700 colors, available in both regular polish and gel. For those who prefer dipping powders, which add a layer to your nails that is as strong as acrylic but healthier for your nails, there are 2,000 choices.
While Timmy says the pandemic has been difficult for the entire industry and has increased his costs, the prices at Touch Nail Spa have remained the same.
“We also haven’t cut the quality because of the economy,” Timmy says. “Everything is more expensive now and a lot of salons have had to increase their prices, but we haven’t done that. We have kept the prices the same, but also kept the quality of our products the same or better.”
Touch Nail Spa’s Customer Rewards Program helps keep the services even more affordable. Upon arrival at either salon, customers sign in on one of Touch Nail Spa’s iPads. There, you register for your free membership and start earning points. Members receive 1 point for every dollar spent. When you reach 500 points, you receive $25 off any a pedicure service.
Touch Nail Spa also offers discounted prices for children age 11 and younger.
Both locations have plenty of technicians waiting to serve you, and Timmy promises that the customer service experience will always be top-notch. The Wesley Chapel Touch Nail Spa has 48 employees, while the slightly smaller New Tampa salon currently has 32 employees and Timmy is looking to hire a full-time receptionist for that location. Please call either location if you would like to apply.
Touch Nail Spa also now has e-gift cards available for all occasions that can be used at both locations. They are available for purchase at the spa’s website, TouchNail AndSpa.com.
Appointments are welcome if you want a service with a specific nail technician. For services with any available technician, please just walk in.
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.
Saddlebrook Resort, the first centerpiece of Wesley Chapel and a forerunner of all the development happening today in the area, has been sold.
But, it’s not going anywhere, says longtime owner Thomas L. Dempsey, who told the Neighborhood News that the sale just marks a new chapter in the resort’s long and fabled history.
“I’m very pleased; it has a long way to go,” said Dempsey. “A great group of people bought it and intend to expand it in the future and we’ll be working with them in the future.”
The iconic conference center, vacation resort and athletic getaway was purchased by Mast Capital and Amzak Capital Management for $15,009,000 according to Pasco County Property Appraiser website.
Dempsey was the Chairman and CEO of Penton Publishing, a subsidiary of the Fortune 500 Pittway Corporation, when he helped develop Saddlebrook Resort after Pittway purchased the 480-acre property in 1979. Saddlebrook Resort opened in 1981, and Dempsey purchased the resort from Pittway in 1988 and has been Chairman and CEO — as well as a full-time resident — ever since.
Saddlebrook Resort, tucked away south of S.R. 54 and east of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., is a 500-unit condo and hotel property, featuring restaurants, gift shops and other amenities, including more than 100,000 square feet of conference space.
It is often the choice of visitors with plans to stay in the area for a long time. For example, in 2018, the U.S. Women’s Hockey Team stayed at Saddlebrook while training at nearby AdventHealth Center Ice for the Winter Olympics, before they won gold at PyeongChang, South Korea.
The Olympic hockey team is just one of many high-profile athletes that have been associated with Saddlebrook.
Both of the 18-hole golf courses were designed by PGA legend Arnold Palmer, but the most famous athletes the resort has hosted and trained have been professional tennis players.
Thomas L. Dempsey, Saddlebrook Resorts owner, Chairman and CEO since 1988, poses with the U.S. Fed Cup tennis team in 2017. Saddlebrook hosted the semifinals, which the U.S. won, defeating the Czech Republic. (Photo: John C. Cotey)
Saddlebrook has been well-known for being a training ground for players like Jim Courier, Jennifer Capriati (also a long-time resident), John Isner, Martina Hingis and Andy Roddick, as well as many others. It hosts many tennis tournaments, most recently (and notably) the Women’s Fed Cup finals between the U.S. and the Czech Republic in 2017.
The property also is home to nationally-renowned tennis and golf training academies, which are part of Saddlebrook Prep, a fully accredited college-preparatory school (grades 3 through 12) with roughly 100 students from more than 25 different countries attending the school while getting world-class training in their respective sports.
The gated resort, however, had begun to show its age in recent years. Mast Capital CEO Camilo Miguel told the Tampa Bay Business Journal (TBBJ) that the property will receive a major renovation, and may even add residential and commercial space in the future.
“I think there’s a lot of opportunity in elevating the property and bringing back some of its luster,” Miguel said. “There hasn’t been much investment in the property in decades, so that’s the low-hanging fruit.”
Miguel also told the TBBJ he has already hired HEI Hotels & Resorts to manage the resort, and instead of bringing in a different flagship hotel to the property, feels that the Saddlebrook name still carries enough weight to make it a desired destination.
Mast Capital also announced earlier this week that Troon, the world’s largest golf management company providing services at 630-plus locations around the globe, was hired to manage the resort. In addition to golf, Troon specializes in homeowner association management, private residence clubs, estate management and associated hospitality venues.
Dempsey, 97, declined to talk about the sale or why he sold the resort after all these years, but did say he was proud of what his family accomplished with one of the first big-ticket locations in the area north of Busch Gardens.
“From the time we arrived some 40 years ago, there was very little here, practically nothing,” Dempsey said. “It grew to be a prominent part of Florida. and one of the fastest-growing areas. And, we were very much a part of all that, and will continue (to be) for the future.”
Dempsey thinks the outlook for Saddlebrook is promising. He said the new owners have plans to expand and improve it, making them an attractive buyer.
As for what he will remember the most from his stewardship of Saddlebrook Resort, Dempsey says there are too many things to mention.
“It’s been a long series of very good things,” he said. “We had a lot of help along the way with the people here, and also the county and all of that. They were there to work with us and will continue to do so.”
For Mast Capital, a Miami real estate investor/developer, it is the second major purchase it has made in Wesley Chapel in the last six months.
In November 2021, in a joint venture with private equity firm Rockpoint Group, it acquired roughly 16 acres of land located at 5101 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. for $4.5 million with plans to build a 248-unit luxury apartment community later this year.
It seems like taxes get more complicated every year, and the Covid-19 pandemic has caused more confusion than ever.
Patrick Murtha, the managing partner of the accounting firm of Murtha & Murtha, LLC, says, “There is an abundance of changes the IRS is sending our way.”
Patrick, his father Tom, and Kyle Flischel run Murtha & Murtha in the Seven Oaks Professional Park off S.R. 56 (across from Sam’s Club) in Wesley Chapel.
While Kyle has served as the firm’s long-time senior accountant, he recently became a full managing partner of the business. The trio has more than 60 years of combined experience in handling taxes on behalf of their accounting clients.
One of the biggest changes parents will see on their taxes this year is in the child tax credit. In past years, people have gotten a credit on their annual taxes — and often a refund — for each child in their care, but this year, that money has already been paid to those parents in quarterly payments.
“People are used to getting that refunded,” Patrick says, “but it won’t be like that this year because they already got it.”
While that may cause confusion — and some people may be upset that they won’t get as large a refund as they are used to, or may end up owing money —Murtha & Murtha promises that if you have the firm prepare your taxes, you will always understand the issues and exactly why you owe what you owe.
“It’s really important for us to understand every single thing that goes on the tax return so we are able to make sure our clients understand it, too,” he says. “Some just say, ‘Tell me what I owe,’ but others want to know why they owe, so we make sure they understand exactly what happened and why, and what we can do to make sure future outcomes are not that way.”
Patrick says people are still dealing with stimulus issues, too. But, whatever your situation, the accountants at Murtha & Murtha are up to date on all of the tax code changes and can help you file your taxes easily and correctly.
“We’re experts, we’re prepared and we’re well-learned,” Patrick says, “so we’re able to confidently handle all of that.”
Bobbie Smith is a small business owner who came to Murtha & Murtha a couple of years ago when she needed help with taxes, both business and personal.
As the owner of the Wesley Chapel-based Interior Design By Bobbie, she lives in Meadow Pointe III.
“They do everything for me,” she says, “I am so impressed with them, their knowledge, their expertise, and their response back to me. Every time I have a question, they are quick to reply to me.”
Patrick says that’s intentional. He says communication is the top priority at Murtha & Murtha, and while mistakes can sometimes happen because of human error, not returning a client phone call in a timely manner is “unforgiveable.”
And, he says, while some tax firms have a strategy where CPAs meet with clients face-to-face but hire seasonal tax preparers to actually complete the client’s tax forms, that’s not how Murtha & Murtha does it.
“Whoever you meet with is who is going to actually be doing your tax return,” he explains. “If I meet with you and learn about your situation and tax circumstances, I’m going to remember that and it will play a role in making sure I remember to catch things. That doesn’t translate.”
Tax season is Murtha & Murtha’s busiest time of year, but it’s just part of the services the firm provides.
Patrick says Murtha & Murtha’s “CFO Retainer Package” continues to attract new clients. With this package, the firm helps businesses and people who are self-employed do monthly accounting and bookkeeping, but also helps with budgeting, and act when clients have questions about tax planning, mitigating tax bills, or about offering health insurance or retirement plans, for example.
“It’s almost as if you hired a CFO (Chief Financial Officer), but you’re not paying a six-figure salary,” explains Patrick. “We come up with a plan as to how you’re going to grow your business and mitigate your tax bill, so that the tax return should just be a formality. Most people are just looking at their bank account, and it’s impossible to really manage a business effectively that way.”
Patrick understands that most business owners are too busy worrying about their primary business to really step back and look at the big picture, so Murtha & Murtha provides its clients with an extra layer of financial planning and analysis for their business.
Background
Tom Murtha, CPA, earned his Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Management from Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY, in 1976, and his M.B.A. (Master of Business Administration) degree in Accounting from St. John’s University in Queens, NY, in 1981. He has been doing mergers, acquisitions and business valuations since the 1990s.
Patrick, who grew up around tax codes at his father’s business, graduated from the University of South Florida in 2009 with B.S. degrees in both Finance and Accounting. He joined his father in opening a firm in Tampa in 2010, focusing on mergers and acquisitions.
Meanwhile, Kyle Flischel, CPA, is practically family, having gone to school with Patrick at USF.
The Murthas merged with another accounting office in Zephyrhills a couple of years ago, and that location is now called Henson & Murtha, CPAs. It is located at 5315 8th Ave.
Murtha & Murtha, LLC, is located at 2236 Ashley Oaks Cir., Suite 101. For more information, visit TampaTaxFirm.com or to schedule a free consultation, call (813) 991-1120.
