AMC Highwoods 20 Planning Major Facelift!

AMC Highwoods 20, the target of recent criticism over its appearance inside and out, may be looking at a major $6-million facelift.

According to plans filed by Kansas City-based BRR Architecture with the City of Tampa, the AMC Highwoods 20 location just off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. could be receiving major interior renovations that include an upgraded lobby, new carpet and paint, larger bathrooms and new projection and speaker systems, with roomier recliner leather seating inside the theaters.

AMC Theatres public relations director Ryan Noonan did not confirm any specific enhancements, but did tell the Neighborhood News that “the renovation process is in place” and, if permitting goes smoothly, it could begin sometime around June and be completed by the end of 2020.

A woman who identified herself as one of the AMC Highwoods 20 managers declined comment.

Noonan said that the New Tampa location would likely receive the same upgrades AMC is putting in at many of its other theaters across the country.

“The new recliner seating is always the star of the show,” he said.

According to the plans, the renovations on the 82,815-sq.-ft. movie theater would cost roughly $6.6 million dollars. 

“That’s great news,” said Tampa City Council member, Hunter’s Green resident and frequent AMC 20 patron Luis Viera, whose district includes the theater. 

Viera wrote to AMC’s corporate management in November of 2019 stating that the New Tampa theater was “unkempt and not properly reflecting the exterior standards of New Tampa” and could use some TLC. 

Many on social media agreed.

Posters on various platforms shared their horror stories, while others said they would rather drive 20 minutes to see a movie in Wesley Chapel.

Noonan acknowledged that AMC was aware of the bad press the theater had recently received.

“They have been discussing (renovating) the Highwoods 20 before any of that came to light,” said Noonan.

An upgrade would be a big boost to New Tampa’s only movie theater, which opened in 1999 and pales in comparison to the nearby and newer Cobb Grove 16 in Wesley Chapel when it comes to amenities like food, comfortable seating and offering a more modern experience.

AMC is currently renovating a number of its nearly-700 theaters across the country and has been for the last decade, Noonan said. He said there are less than a handful of new theaters built by AMC each year, with the company instead focusing of renovating its existing properties with better and reserved seating, touch-screen ticketing kiosks, eco-friendly restrooms and a full-service MacGuffins Bar.

Any AMC Highwoods 20 renovations would typically not cause the entire theater to be closed, just certain sections.

Most of the 20 auditoriums will have their current capacities reduced to make room for the larger, more comfortable seating. Auditorium 4, for example, currently has seating for 284, but plans indicate that once renovated, there would only be seating for 140.

“There will be a 40-60 percent reduction in seating,” Noonan said. “With the new seating it’s no longer an elbow-to-elbow experience.”

Viera said he hopes those that have been unhappy will support the effort to modernize the theater.

“They are taking the steps to fix it, and I would hope New Tampa recognizes that and supports it,” Viera said. “I’m thrilled to see this happen.”

Your CBD Store Wesley Chapel Offers Relief Options!

Lisa Feigel and her daughter Ashley Tillett run the Your CBD Store located in the Freedom Plaza at 30044 S.R. 54.

Lisa Feigel’s introduction to the power of cannabidiol, or CBD, happened in an unlikely place: Waupaca, WI.

It was there that her best friend, tired of listening to Lisa complain about her Fibromyalgia — which causes widespread muscle and joint pain — insisted she try CBD.

“I was like, ‘Don’t get me into that,’” Lisa recalled.

Now, Lisa is so into it, she owns two Your CBD Stores, including the first location in Wesley Chapel, open since August and located in the Freedom Plaza at 30044 S.R. 54.

CBD helped relieve Lisa’a aches and pains, as well as various joint issues she was suffering from. She says she has become a true believer and is hoping to provide the same relief to others.

Her daughter, Ashley Tillett, a former teacher, manages the store. Lisa introduced Ashley — who suffered from both joint pain and anxiety — to CBD, and her life has been changed as well.

Both ladies are eager to answer any questions their customers might have and guide them to the right solutions.  

“They can be skeptical,” Lisa says, but the tastefully and minimalist-designed store offers a soothing experience the minute you walk in.

“I tell people I manage a CBD boutique, because that’s what it is,” Ashley says. “It’s not a smoke shop. It’s not a (medical marijuana) dispensary.”

Your CBD Store doesn’t have hundreds of items that promise to do a million different things. It focuses on what it does best.

There are oils and creams and edible products infused with CBD, that offer much-desired relief from a plethora of problems, in various forms, with multiple dosage sizes.

Not only will Lisa and Ashley help find the right product to provide relief from what ails you, they also will check back in with you after a few days to make sure it worked. One of their hopes is that customers will choose CBD products over opioids and other addictive and sometimes dangerous drugs prescribed by doctors.

“We are invested in our customers,” Ashley says. “We want to know if they used it, if they have questions, how they feel and if we need to adjust their dosage.”

Should I Try It?

Some of the trepidation by customers stems from the link CBD has to the cannabis plant, which historically has a strong medicinal footprint, but hasn’t always had a great reputation.

Marijuana is a variety of cannabis, and contains more than 0.3% percent of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the ingredient that gets you “high.”

Hemp is also a variety of cannabis —  it is often called a cousin of marijuana — but it contains less than 0.3% of THC. 

CBD is derived from hemp and basically provides all of the health benefits of cannabis — without the high.

Studies to date are limited, but CBD has been touted for its effectiveness in treating childhood epilepsy by stopping the onset of seizures, and proponents say it can help relieve stress, inflammation and joint pain, as well as other physical and neurological maladies.

The CBD industry is in the midst of a growth explosion across the country, and regulation is growing stronger. But, Lisa warns, all CBD stores and their products are not created equal.

With more than 600 locations nationwide, Your CBD Store focuses on quality products, with third-party testing and QR codes on the bottles if you want to check out the lab reports.

SunMed CBD products is the exclusive supplier to Your CBD Stores. They have their own farms in Denver, CO, where they grow hemp, and the processing of those plants takes place in Florida. 

SunMed touts its Co2 extraction process for eliminating the need for chemical solvents while producing higher quality, full-spectrum CBD. 

After the Co2 extraction process, the CBD is processed again to remove even that small amount of THC to create SunMed CBD’s broad-spectrum offerings.

Full-spectrum products contain 0.3% of THC, which is the legal limit. While just the non-THC, broad-spectrum CBD oil alone can relieve pain and alleviate stress, sometimes it is more effective in combination with THC. 

Lisa says the full-spectrum CBD products are generally her biggest sellers.

Plenty of Choices!

Whichever spectrum customers choose, the CBD products come in various forms and flavors and a variety of dosages, and the store offers free samples for those who are curious.

There are water-soluble products designed to be dissolved in water, and that get into your system in 4-7 minutes, while lasting 3-4 hours. Tincture oils are dispensed under your tongue and take longer to get into your system — 45 minutes or so — but last longer than the water-soluble products (typically around 7-10 hours).

There also are gummies, hard candy and honey sticks, which can be stirred into your coffee or tea.

Lisa says the topical creams are another big seller. They provide relief by being rubbed on balky knees, bad backs, sore shoulders and more.

Publisher Gary Nager says the topical cream is the only thing that has provided relief for his knees. 

“I’ve spoken with doctors who have said it works for them or they have patients who tell them it’s a godsend,” Nager says. “I’d have to agree.”

SunMed also makes award-winning skincare products — the collagen cream is popular, Lisa says — and products for dogs (edible treats, water solubles and tinctures) who may suffer from anxiety when their owners leave home, in thunderstorms or on holidays when fireworks are being set off.

At the September USA CBD Expo in Miami, FL, which had more than 300 vendors and 13,000 attendees, SunMed CBD was awarded two Excellence Awards for Best CBD Tincture and Best CBD Topical.

While CBD research is still in its infancy, some of the studies conducted have produced encouraging results when it comes to managing pain and inflammation with arthritis, as well as anxiety.

“You use Ambien if you need to sleep. You use Tylenol if you have a headache. You use Zoloft if you are stressed out,” says Ashley. “If you are all of those things, use CBD.”

Your CBD Store of Wesley Chapel is currently offering 10-percent off for any customer who mentions this article, and 5 percent off for any returning customer who brings in their empty product container.

Your CBD Store Wesley Chapel is located at 30044 S.R. 54. It is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, except for Saturdays, when it is open 11 a.m.-4 p.m. It also is closed on Sundays. For more information, call (813) 536-0119, visit CBDrx4u.com/find-us/Florida/Wesley-Chapel or search YourCBDStoreWesleyChapel on Facebook.

Creative Permanent Makeup By Pam: Worry-Free Eyebrows & More

Pam Edmonson has a warm, welcoming personality that sparkles. You might say she lights up the room. Her passion really shines through when she talks about helping and serving people, especially through her career.

Pam is an experienced permanent makeup artist who owns Serenity Salon & Spa Suites, located off S.R. 54 in the Brookfield Professional Park, about a half-mile west of Morris Bridge Rd./Eiland Blvd. in Wesley Chapel. At the salon, she provides permanent makeup for eyebrows, eyelids and lips.

“It’s such a blessing to know that I’m really being helpful to people,” she says, “especially when you see that end result that makes them feel better about themselves.”

One area of specialty for Pam is helping people who have had cancer. Some come to her after they’ve lost all of their hair from chemotherapy. Others find her before they lose their hair. Pam can help to create their eyebrows in permanent makeup, following the natural hairline that already exists.

Pam says her career in permanent makeup started after many years of running a business in the manufactured housing industry. In 2009, Pam says she wanted to do something different, so she went to school to become a hair stylist.

While she enjoyed hair, Pam says she soon discovered something that interested her even more.

“I love detail,” Pam says. “As a detail person, eyebrows are what first drew me into the permanent makeup field.”

She studied permanent makeup at the Boca Ta-2 School for Permanent Makeup in Williston, FL, in 2010 and began providing permanent makeup services in Zephyrhills in 2011. She is licensed in Florida as both a cosmetologist and as a tattoo artist. 

Pam offers permanent makeup for eyebrows and lips, along with permanent eyeliner. Many of her clients who want permanent eyebrows choose a technique called microblading.

“Brows are always my favorite because of the drastic way they change how someone looks,” Pam says. “Our eyes are meant to be framed, and brows definitely complete the face. Some women look so much younger when they have them done.”

With microblading, Pam uses a small blade and ink to create individual stroke lines. She uses a pencil to draw an outline, then uses the microblade to draw each individual hair, adding a more natural look to the eyebrow.

Pam strongly recommends that anyone considering microblading “should do their homework,” explaining that some people who offer the service may only have taken a three-day class in the technique before they start working on clients. The person who will do your eyebrows should sit down with you and show you before-and-after pictures of their own work, Pam says.

Pam was trained in microblading in 2014, when the process was new. Since then, she says she has done hundreds of sets of eyebrows.

“It’s been close to 10 years since I first went to school,” says Pam. “I’ve learned so much over the years about different ways of doing things, using certain inks, learning from experience, and how everyone’s skin is so different.”

She requires a free, in-person, no-obligation consultation for all clients. Even for someone who is sure they want permanent makeup, Pam still requires a consultation, to look at each individual and their unique skin, and to help them decide which technique is right for them.

Johella Liguori is a client of Pam’s who just recently had microblading done on her eyebrows and permanent eyeliner both above and below her eyes.

“It was great,” she says. “She was very welcoming, super friendly. She’s awesome.”

Johella says she was looking for a way to simplify her daily routine, and not having to worry about eye makeup would make life easier for her.

When figuring out where to have those services done, she did her research, including spending time on Pam’s website at CreativePermanentMakeupByPam.com.

“What caught my eye is that she has tons of years of experience,” says Johella, adding that, “Pam told me from the get-go that I would have to come back for a touch up and fills. I actually came in a third time because my skin is very oily, so she wasn’t satisfied with the result. She had me come again and she didn’t charge me extra for either of the follow-ups.”

But, Johella says she has been thrilled with her results.

“I’m a dentist,” explains Johella, “and everyone notices. I’ve gotten tons of compliments from my patients and co-workers.”

She says many people ask her how much it hurts. For Johella, it wasn’t painful at all. She says Pam kept her numb so she didn’t feel anything, and she appreciated how Pam made her comfortable and ensured that she was never in pain.

Johella says her procedures were all done on Saturdays, and she was able to go right back to work two days later (on Monday). In fact, after her touch-ups, she was out that afternoon, even attending a Christmas party on the same day. She says she had no pain, no discomfort, and no redness or puffiness that would keep her from participating in normal activities.

“Let me tell you,” Johella says. “This lady, she knows her stuff. Eyebrows are her deal.”

There are many women who come to Pam wanting permanent makeup and, like Johella, leave with it, but Pam says there also are many other women who — for one reason or another — don’t.

“You always get a completely honest opinion from me,” says Pam. “It might not be what you want to hear, but I’ll tell you the truth. If somebody isn’t a good candidate, I’ll tell them.”

That might be because of issues with their skin or previous scar tissue. (In fact, Pam says some women are told they should get yearly touch-ups, but Pam recommends asking her for a more personalized recommendation, since yearly touch-ups can cause scarring, and most women don’t need touch-ups that often.)

Sometimes, Pam says she has turned some women away who already had beautiful brows and didn’t need the procedure.

“There are a lot of times that people come in for a consult and they walk out with brow powder,” laughs Pam.

Johella says that anyone considering having microblading or permanent makeup should consider Pam. 

“She’s amazing and I’m grateful,” she says. “With Pam, you really bond and she takes you in as part of her family. She’s really passionate about what she does.”

Creative Permanent Makeup by Pam is located at Serenity Salon & Spa Suites at 33913 S.R. 54, Suite 101, in Wesley Chapel. For a free consultation or more information about Pam’s permanent makeup services, visit CreativePermanentMakeupbyPam.com or call or text Pam at (813) 997-6302.

Aldi Grocery Approved For New Tampa!

Aldi is officially coming to New Tampa.

The petition to re-zone the property of the former Ruby Tuesday restaurant on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. was unanimously approved earlier today by the Tampa City Council on the second reading.

The city’s Development Review & Compliance staff had already found the petition, which requests to be reclassified from a PD-A (Planned Development, Alternative restaurant) to PD (Planned Development, retail sales, shopper’s goods), to be consistent with applicable City of Tampa land regulations.

The proposed Aldi store, which will be located at the corner of BBD and Highwoods Preserve Pkwy. in front of the AMC movie theater, will be 19,160 square feet — almost four times the size of Ruby Tuesday — with 106 parking spaces.

Leon Capital Group, the owners who purchased the 2.36-acre lot for $2.82 million in 2018, were represented at the first reading on Jan. 16 by Scott Stannard of Commercial Site Solutions.

Stannard said the plans include not only replacing the vacant restaurant, but enhancing the surrounding area.

“We feel it’s an improvement, actually,” Stannard told the council members. “We’ve had arborists go out and we’re going to be taking down some of the dead trees and replacing them with new landscaping and beefing that up. It will be a nice fit for what’s out there.”

Stannard also said as that, as part of the new development, a sidewalk will be built on Highwood Preserve Pkwy., to aid pedestrians who are shopping, as well as those using the bus stop at the same corner.

“It’s really surprising there’s not one there already,” Stannard said.

Aldi, a German discount grocer, will be the third supermarket to open along a less-than-one-mile stretch of the west side of BBD. It would join a Publix at the corner of BBD and New Tampa Blvd. and Sprouts Farmers Market, which will be open by this summer in the new Village at Hunter’s Lake development across from the entrance to the Hunter’s Green community.

While Publix is the largest of the three and Sprouts is a “green” grocer, Aldi is a hugely popular German discount chain that carries brands that many shoppers here in the U.S. may not recognize, including their own. More than 90 percent of the brands Aldi carries are exclusive brands.

One unique aspect of Aldi is the quarter charge to rent a shopping cart at the store, to prevent stray carts from being left in the parking lot where they can dent cars.

Users get their quarter back when they return the cart.

Another Aldi is just weeks away from opening on S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel, right in front of the Costco.

Earth Fare To Close!

Well, that was fast.

In a rather stunning move, Earth Fare, Wesley Chapel’s first – and only – large green grocer, is closing all of its stores, including the Cypress Creek Town Center location on S.R. 56.

In a press release earlier today, the North Carolina-based grocer announced it was liquidating all of its stores nationwide, and liquidation sales will begin immediately. Even store fixtures can be had, the release noted.

“Earth Fare has been proud to serve the natural and organic grocery market, and the decision to begin the process of closing our stores was not entered into lightly,” the company said in the press release.  “We’d like to thank our Team Members for their commitment and dedication to serving our customers, and our vendors and suppliers for their partnership.”

The Wesley Chapel location will, perhaps, barely make it to its first anniversary. More than 100 shoppers lined up on Feb. 19, 2019 eager to be some of the store’s first customers.

“A gut punch,” says Hope Allen, the CEO of the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce.

Allen said she had recently read about Earth Fare closing a store in Gainesville on Jan. 11 after only four years, but still didn’t think the Wesley Chapel store, which was the 12th for the company in Florida, was in any danger.

“It is very shocking,” Allen says. “I thought we would be immune from those closures because it was so recently opened.”

On a VIP tour of Earth Fare a week before it opened, CEO/president Frank Scorpiniti touted the quality of Earth Fare’s organic products, which do not contain high-fructose corn syrup, artificial fats, colors, sweeteners, or preservatives, or meats that were bred with antibiotics or growth hormones. The chain had a “boot list” — a long list of banned ingredients it does not allow in anything sold in any Earth Fare store.

At the time, Scorpiniti said the Wesley Chapel opening was just the beginning of an aggressive plan to expand Earth Fare’s footprint. At the time, the company was operating 50 stores, and Scorpiniti said he expected there to be more than 100 locations in a few years.

Earth Fare, which was founded in Asheville, NC, in 1975, said its financial struggles were too much to overcome, and hinted that its efforts had failed.

“While many of these initiatives improved the business, continued challenges in the retail industry impeded the company’s progress as well as its ability to refinance its debt,” the press release said. “As a result, Earth Fare is not in a financial position to continue to operate on a go forward basis. As such, we have made the difficult, but necessary decision to commence inventory liquidation sales while we continue to engage in a process to find potential suitors for our stores.”