Lots of Stuff Is Brewing On The Local Business Scene

There could soon be more tenants to announce for the Village at Hunter’s Lake development currently under construction on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., across from the main entrance to the Hunter’s Green community.

Regency Centers senior leasing agent Marc Elias, who already has signed a dozen occupants for the retail/restaurant portion of the project, will be the guest speaker at the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Development Briefing at Hunter’s Green Country Club on Thursday, June 20. 

While Sprouts, the first green grocer to enter the New Tampa market, is the anchor of the retail strip, other occupants currently listed on the Regency Centers website are Banfield Pet Hospital, The Coder School, Grain & Berry, Hair Cuttery, Heartland Dental, Nationwide Vision Center, Pink & White Nails, Poke Island Plus, Pure Beauty Salon, Starbucks, T-Mobile and Via Italia Woodfired Pizza & Bar.

There are, however, still six spaces available.

The Village at Hunter’s Lake will have 71,397 sq. ft. of commercial space. The project also will include a 30,000-sq.-ft. New Tampa Cultural Center, a dog park and a four-story, 241-unit multi-family complex to be called The Haven at Hunter’s Lake.

Addio, Chefs of Napoli?

Chefs of Napoli, an Italian restaurant that had been expected to open in the next few months at the old Beef O’Brady’s location in the Cross Creek Commons plaza off Morris Bridge Rd., is now unlikely to do so, after its owner was arrested last month and faces charges of conspiracy to commit human trafficking and lewd and lascivious battery.

While the primary trafficker was not named to avoid identifying the teenage victim, Luigi Barile, who founded the Chefs of Napoli restaurants in Spring Hill and Ocala, was one of nine men arrested on May 17 by the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office after a two-year investigation.

Hernando Sheriff Al Nienhuis said at a press conference that the victim had been sexually abused by the men for six months. He said Barile brought three of his friends to sexually assault the teenager.

“Not only did he use the services of our young victim, he also brought, at least one time, at least three of his friends with him,” Nienhuis said. “And, all four of these men exchanged money for sex.”

According to the Villages-News.com, Barile was released on a $25,000 bond — $10,000 each on two counts of kidnapping/human trafficking and $5,000 on a count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device.

The Villages-News.com also reported that a number of special conditions had been placed on Barile, such as surrendering his passport, being placed on a GPS monitor and that he have no intentional contact with any child under 18. He also is not permitted to leave Hernando County.

Barile has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.

Time To Study…New Tampa

Students from the University of South Florida’s School of Public Affairs will meet for the first time on Tuesday, July 16, as they begin a study to determine the reasons for the outmigration of a number of local businesses from the New Tampa area and to find a potential solution, if there is one.

The meeting will be held at either the New Tampa Regional Library or Compton Park in Tampa Palms. The group is comprised of graduate students working towards their Master’s degrees in Urban and Regional Planning at USF. They will conduct a listening tour with local focus groups and businesses, as well as a field study. 

USF School of Public Affairs director Ron Sanders told the Neighborhood News in April that if the study produces something concrete, it could lead to the city conducting something “more extensive and sophisticated.”

District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera also will attend the first meeting.

“I think this has a lot of promise,” Viera says. “If there is a problem, hopefully we can figure that out. But, it’s definitely something we should look at now, sooner than later.”

Brew Bus Coming!

Brew Bus Brewing, Inc., the company behind Florida Avenue Brewing Co. and Brew Bus Brewing, has officially announced that it has purchased the former Sports + Field location on S.R. 56. The new owners will convert Sports + Field into a brewery with a beer garden, full-service restaurant and event space.

The 34,000-sq.-ft., two-floor facility in Wesley Chapel originally opened in 2005 as a $10.5-million multi-purpose fitness center that trained professional athletes while also offering fitness programs for local residents. It closed in 2015.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Brew Bus Brewing Inc., Anthony Derby, told the Neighborhood News last month that his company was taking a close look at the property, located at 2029 Arrowgrass Dr., and saw a craft brewery as a missing part of the local Wesley Chapel/New Tampa bar/dining scene.

“We are excited to expand our operations into Pasco County to provide the community with a family-friendly brewery, event and restaurant destination,” Derby said in a statement. “By this time next year, Pasco residents will not only be working in our expanded operation, but also enjoying our products a bit closer to home.”

The completed deal is expected to create 46 new local jobs and more than $8.7 million in new capital investment in Pasco County. 

“It’s great to reactivate a dormant property with high-paying manufacturing jobs in a unique industry,” Bill Cronin, the president/CEO of the Pasco Economic Development Council, said in a press release. “A company like Brew Bus Brewing, Inc., is a win for the whole community, as they embody the ‘live, work, play’ notion so important to our community’s future economic growth.”

Brew Bus Brewing, Inc., created in 2011, currently operates both a brewery on N. Florida Ave. and buses that travel to breweries throughout the Tampa Bay area. In addition to brewing its own Brew Bus beer, the brand expanded in 2015, with the acquisition of Florida Avenue Brewing Co., in an effort to revive one of the area’s most historic breweries.  Both Brew Bus and Florida Avenue brands are distributed throughout the entire state of Florida.

“We are happy to welcome Brew Bus Brewing, Inc., to Pasco,” said District 2 Pasco County commissioner Mike Moore. “Not only are they creating jobs, but their new tasting room and restaurant will be a great destination for residents and tourists alike. Breweries are a huge part of the tourism market.”

For more information about Brew Bus Brewing, visit BrewBusUSA.com.

Neighborhood News Online Celebrates Six Months Of Google-Funded Videos!

When we received the first installment of our funding from the Google News Initiative on January 14, we made a number of promises to our benefactors regarding the number of videos we’d put online, the number of people we’d hire to shoot, edit and be on-air talent for those videos and the equipment we would need to fulfill our commitments.

As this issue is reaching you, it has now been six months since we received that funding and I’d have to say that we are right on track.

To me, the most important milestone for us to reach was the increase in the number of videos we would be releasing. Before our Google funding, we averaged one video every other week. But, we have now put out 41 videos in 21 weeks (with several videos in the can getting ready for release at out press time) since Jan. 14, or an average of at least two each week. 

And, more and more of you are watching those videos. In the nearly three years since we first started Wesley Chapel & New Tampa Television (WCNT-tv) — which we now call NeighborhoNewsOnline.net (search “Neighborhood News” on Facebook or “WCNT-tv”  on YouTube) — we have flown past one million total views and nearly two million people reached on Facebook.

The 41 videos we have put online since January alone have been viewed more than 210,000 times and have reached more than 354,000 people. Perhaps even more important is that those 41 videos have received a total of more than 36,000 “engagements” (Likes, Shares & Comments), or an average of more than 900 per video! How many local videos/posts do you know of that have had 1,000 engagements?

We continue to reach our biggest audience whenever we put out videos about food, as our two videos about the opening of the new Chick-fil-A on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel each garnered more than 12,000 views and combined reached more than 35,000 people. Our biggest reach this year has been achieved by our video about the new Smallcakes Cupcakery in Tampa Palms, which also had more than 12,000 views, and a reach of more than 22,000 people!

Even more recently, my “Neighborhood Dining News” segment about Hummingbird Jerk House and Full Circle Pizza released on May 29 already has been viewed more than 7,000 times and reached more than 11,000 people.

En Español, Tambien?    

Although I also have several more lined up to start as this issue is reaching your mailbox, we currently have four print advertisers who have begun sponsoring our videos and online content, as part of their Video & Online “Subscription” program, where each of them will receive a Video Business Feature.

Those advertisers are Total Air Solutions, Creative Permanent Makeup by Pam Edmonson, Omari’s Grill at Lexington Oaks Golf Club and KAP Medical Group. We have not yet released the Video Business Features for Total Air or Omari’s, but only the video for Omari’s had not yet been produced at our press time.

However, Total Air, which was our first “subscriber,” has already been shown as a sponsor of eight videos in seven weeks, and those videos have been viewed more than 50,000 times, with a Facebook reach of nearly 89,000 people and nearly 7,000 engagements. Creative Permanent Makeup by Pam has sponsored seven videos in six weeks, and those videos have been viewed more than 40,000 times, with a FB reach of more than 68,000 and more than 6,000 engagements. Omari’s had only sponsored two videos at our press time, but they had been viewed more than 7,000 times, with a FB reach of nearly 15,000, with nearly 700 engagements.

And, thanks to Omari’s co-owner Susana Herrera, who spent 20 years as a reporter and anchor in her native Colombia, including eight years on the Colombian CBN Network, our KAP Medical video was shot in English (with yours truly asking the questions) and in Spanish (with Susana interviewing fellow Latina Dr. Karina Parilo en Español). We plan to do a lot more with Spanish language videos in the future, so stay tuned! For advertising information, call (813) 910-2575!     

Pet Urgent Care Of Wesley Chapel Now Open In The Pet & Fit Center!


The big, inflatable dalmatian on S.R. 56, less than a mile east of I-75, stands guard over the Pet & Fit Center plaza that is home to Pet Urgent Care of Wesley Chapel.

Earlier this month, St. Petersburg resident Diane Grey was driving home from north Florida with her dog, a 108-pound Rhodesian ridgeback named Morocco. She was getting close to Pasco County when she says Morocco began showing signs of illness. She got off the interstate and pulled into a gas station.

“I saw he was in distress, so I called my vet in St. Pete,” she says. Morocco was anxious because of all the travel and was suffering from heat exhaustion. Diane was told not to wait until she got home, but to seek help for Morocco immediately.

She searched the internet and found Pet Urgent Care of Wesley Chapel, which had only recently opened one exit away.

“I was so worked up and emotional,” she says. “When I saw the Pet Urgent Care sign, it was the best thing I ever saw. They were really friendly and took care of Morocco immediately.”

It is the kind of important emergency services for your pet management had in mind when Pet Urgent Care of Wesley Chapel opened on April 15, making it the first urgent care clinic for pets in the Wesley Chapel/New Tampa area.

Pet Urgent Care shares a building with Dr. Sree Reddy’s Seven Oaks Pet Hospital, which first opened in 2007, and moved to its current location on S.R. 56, just east of I-75, in the plaza called the Pet & Fit Center, in 2016.

Medical director Dr. Gina Ushi is one of three experienced pet emergency veterinarians you’ll find at Pet Urgent Care of Wesley Chapel.

The Pet & Fit Center is now a place where pet owners can visit their veterinarian, stop by the nearby retail store for pet products, such as food, toys, treats, beds and much more. The retail store is Pet Depot, and it occupies 3,000 square feet next door to the pet hospitals.

Seven Oaks Pet Hospital treat dogs, cats and exotic pets. When the pet hospital closes, the urgent care center opens.

Pet Urgent Care of Wesley Chapel is open seven days a week until 11 p.m. (see full hours at the end of this story).

Making Pet Urgent Care Closer & More Convenient

Gina Ushi, DVM, is the medical director for Pet Urgent Care of Wesley Chapel. Prior to joining the pet hospital, Dr. Ushi worked at an emergency clinic in Tampa.

Dr. Ushi earned her DVM degree in 2009 from the University of Florida in Gainesville. She had previously earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Biology from Xavier University in New Orleans, LA, in 2003.

“If people have an emergency with a pet in this area, we want them to know they don’t have to drive down to Tampa,” she says. “When I worked in Tampa, we would often get calls from Wesley Chapel where people would ask, ‘is there anything closer?’”

Now, she says, there finally is a closer option for pets with all kinds of urgent medical needs, such as bite wounds or lacerations, not eating or drinking, or toxin ingestion.

“We see pets with allergic reactions, ear and eye infections, vomiting and/or diarrhea,” Dr. Ushi explains, “or minor traumas, such as they jumped off the bed and now they’re limping.”

There are no scheduled appointments, so all patients are seen on a walk-in basis. Dr. Ushi says pet owners can call ahead so the staff is prepared for you when you get there, but even that isn’t necessary.

Pet Urgent Care of Wesley Chapel is fully staffed with veterinarians who are all experienced in emergency medicine. Dr. Ushi is joined by Dr. Megan Niedens, who was Dr. Ushi’s classmate and also received her DVM degree from UF in 2009, and Dr. Michele Lentovich, who received her DVM degree from UF in 2005. Each of the three doctors has more than 10 years of experience in emergency medicine for animals.

Dr. Ushi says their experience is critical when it comes to being able to save the life of a pet, because a doctor experienced in caring for animals is not the same as one experienced in handling emergencies. “When you visit our urgent care, you will see a doctor who has been in emergency medicine for at least 10 years,” Dr. Ushi explains. “You can rest assured you’re seeing a highly trained, highly experienced doctor.”

Pet Urgent Care of Wesley Chapel sees dogs, cats, rabbits and ferrets. The doctors will sometimes see other exotic animals and birds, but that’s at the doctor’s discretion. Not every doctor is comfortable with every animal, so it will depend upon which doctor is available.

Dr. Ushi advises that anyone who has birds or small exotic animals should call before walking in to determine whether or not they can be seen at the urgent care facility. Most exotics can be scheduled at the regular hospital by appointment.

“We are a bridge between your family veterinarian and an overnight emergency facility,” explains Dr. Ushi. Sometimes, she says, a pet’s illness is so critical that they must be sent somewhere else for overnight care but, in most cases, they are able to be treated and sent home.

In fact, Dr. Ushi says, many of the cases they see are minor issues where a pet owner simply can’t get to their own vet during regular office hours.

Whether a pet is regularly seen at Seven Oaks Pet Hospital, or any other veterinarian, they are still welcome to come to Pet Urgent Care, if needed.

Diane and Morocco will forever be grateful. She says the doctors at Pet Urgent Care of Wesley Chapel were able to stabilize Morocco so he could travel the rest of the way home.

“When you’re so stressed like that, it was a wonderful feeling that everyone had great customer service,” Diane says, “from the receptionist to the vet who treated him. The facility was clean and easy to navigate. They saved my dog’s life.”

She says that Morocco is doing much better now. She also took her paperwork from the visit to her vet back home and asked if the services that were recommended, such as blood work, were necessary, and if what she was charged was reasonable.

Her veterinarian confirmed that he agreed with the recommendations of Pet Urgent Care of Wesley Chapel. “So, they have integrity, too,” says Diane.

Pet Urgent Care of Wesley Chapel is located at 27027 S.R. 56 (look for the big, inflatable dalmatian). Pet Urgent Care of Wesley Chapel is currently offering a special of 10-percent off the regular exam fee for all new clients. It is open Monday-Friday, 6 p.m.–11 p.m., 2 p.m.–11 p.m. on Saturday and 5 p.m.–11 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, call (813) 279-6500 or visit UrgentPetCareOfWesleyChapel.com.

The Joint Chiropractic Center Offers Affordable Relief For Your Pain!

Doctor of Chiropractic Barney Bickerton is the weekday chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic Center which celebrated its second anniversary in the New Tampa Center plaza on Bruce B. Downs Blvd., (less than two miles south of the Pasco County line) in May. (Photo: Charmaine George)

Given the potential for abuse of and addiction to opioids, Alex Pierroutsakos was determined after losing his arm in a serious car accident at the age of 23 not to become reliant on them.

So, to manage his pain, he searched for alternatives, such as exercise, diet, massage therapy and chiropractic care.

“Those are the four things that have helped me get myself to be able to live my healthy, active life,” Alex says.

While the first three of the four things were readily accessible, Alex found that finding good, affordable and available chiropractic care wasn’t. It inspired him to open The Joint Chiropractic Center in New Tampa (in the Publix-anchored New Tampa Center shopping plaza, less than two miles south of the Pasco County line on Bruce B. Downs Blvd., at New Tampa/Cross Creek Blvd.).

The Joint’s New Tampa location is owned by Dr. Edward Leonard’s TJ Wesley Chapel PA, and managed by Alex and his wife Valerie.

While Alex is a businessman — he and Valerie recently opened a second The Joint location in Brandon — he also is devoted to helping patients find the solutions to the very problems he has encountered due to his accident.

The Joint was originally founded in 1999 by a Doctor of Chiropractic with a vision to transform the traditional, often misunderstood concept of routine chiropractic care by making it more convenient, friendly and affordable. In March 2010, The Joint was re-founded with the acquisition of the original eight franchised clinics. Today, The Joint has more than 425 chiropractic offices, more than 900 chiropractic physicians and has handled more than 12 million patient visits across the U.S.

Two Years In New Tampa!

The Joint, which as of May 21 has been open on BBD for two years, has licensed chiropractors to help you with spinal and joint function. It offers weekly adjustments to improve your body’s balance and relieve pain. It will hold its two-year anniversary sometime in June or July — with free food and beverages being provided by outside vendors, big raffle prizes, giveaways and a full day of free adjustments.

The Joint’s new patient special offers a $29 initial visit, which includes a consultation, exam and adjustment. Then, for $69 a month, you get four adjustments — less than $20 per visit — and each additional adjustment (if you need more than four in a month) costs just $10. For those 17 and under, the cost is only $39 a month.

For a single visit, the cost is only $39, but The Joint, which boasts nearly 400 members in New Tampa, also offers a number of packages for multiple visits, and recommends maintenance visits even after your pain goes away.

Pebble Creek’s Diane Seay joined in January when she was having issues with the sciatic nerve on her left side. Dr. Barney Bickerton, D.C., was able to relieve her pain, but he also discovered something else.

“He discovered that I have scoliosis in my shoulders,” Diane says. “That was a surprise. I always thought my one shoulder was lower than the other, but I thought that was from carrying purses and shoulder bags all these years.”

Diane is now having her shoulder treated by Dr. Bickerton, and says she can already notice the difference when she looks in the mirror. She also says she had back pain from sleeping on her side, but “Dr. B,” as many patients call him, diagnosed an issue with her lower spine, or sacrum, and is making improvements there as well.

“There’s no question I feel better,” Diane says, and so does her husband, Jerry, who started going because he saw the changes in his wife.

While Jerry says he didn’t have any back or neck issues, he started going once week (Diane goes twice a week) and says, “I feel more relaxed when I work around the house, in my yard, washing the cars and cleaning the pool. It just feels easier to do, and I feel more flexible.”

The Seays had high praise for not only Dr. Bickerton, but the entire staff at The Joint.

Qualified, Experienced Chiropractic Physicians

Dr. Bickerton, who received his Bachelor of Science in Human Biology and Doctor of Chiropractic degrees from Logan University, near St. Louis, MO, has 16 years of experience. Dr. B handles the weekday patients at The Joint. 

On Saturdays, Dr. Jennifer Wright, D.C., and Dr. David Mangano, D.C., share duties.

Like Dr. Bickerton, Dr. Wright also earned her D.C. degree from Logan College of Chiropractic in 2007, after attending Ohio State University for her undergraduate studies. Dr. Mangano is a Board-certified Chiropractic Physician in the state of Florida and in New York, with more than  35 years of experience. He also is an affiliate doctor with the Cancer Centers of America, and a wellness consultant and member of the nonprofit organization The Foundation for Wellness Professionals.

Most people seeking chiropractic care are suffering from back pain. According to WedMD.com, 22 million Americans visit chiropractors annually, and 35 percent of them (or 7.7 million) are seeking relief of pain in their backs.

While many medical doctors prescribe opioids for back pain, chiropractors rely on hands-on manipulations of the spine and other joints that can relieve pain and restore mobility. Dr. Bickerton says that if the 24 independent vertebrae aren’t functioning together properly, you can experience pain and discomfort.

“I would say the majority of our patients come in with some level of back and neck pain,” Alex says. “After that, people come because of headaches, or problems with an extremity, like a knee, ankle or shoulder.”

While most people associate chiropractic care with back pain, some studies, Alex says, have shown that routine care also can help with other maladies like relief from arthritis, bursitis, stress and tension disorders and even colds, allergies and sinus problems.

In fact, Alex says his lifestyle, which includes running and sports like basketball, has been helped immensely by keeping various body parts in alignment.

“We actually help a lot of young people, like cheerleaders and football players,” he says. “There’s a tremendous amount of study around ankle and leg adjustments to prevent injury for football players and other athletes. When my chiropractor does my ankles, holy cow
because I exercise and run a lot, the amount of build-up onto that ankle is unbelievable. It’s a significant adjustment.”

The Joint is open from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on weekdays, a convenience for those who work and would otherwise have no options. It also is open on Saturdays, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

In the fall, Alex says there are plans to open The Joint on Sundays as well.

Best of all, you don’t even need an appointment, and although The Joint doesn’t accept insurance,  you can still use Healthcare Flexible Spending accounts or Health Savings Accounts.

Alex says the focus of The Joint is to make people feel better, not their insurance companies and lawyers. “And we have a lot of motivated doctors that also want to be a part of that.”

For more information  about The Joint (19014 BBD Blvd.), visit TheJoint.com or call (813) 534-6415. The two-year anniversary party is open to everyone, whether they already are patients at The Joint or not, and we’ll let you know when it is scheduled.

End Of An Era at Wesley Chapel Nissan!

Although Wesley Chapel Nissan wasn’t the first auto dealership to open on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel (that was Heritage, now Parks Ford), owner Jay Rosario and his team have certainly been among the most community-oriented auto dealerships in our area since it opened 15 years ago (in 2004).

In one of the more unique business transitions I’ve ever witnessed, the public was invited to watch Rosario and his entire management team (including my friend and Wesley Chapel Rotary Club member Troy Stevenson) on May 20 to hand the baton (and the keys to the dealership) off to Wesley Chapel Nissan’s new owners — the Morgan Auto Group.

CEO Brett Morgan (at left in photo below), known for his TV commercials with Tampa Bay Lightning star Tyler Johnson, brought along new Wesley Chapel Nissan general manager Paul Snedic (right) and the dealership’s new management team to the event, which was attended by at least 100 people, including Pasco County clerk and comptroller Dr. Paula O’Neil, as well as many members of the Wesley Chapel Rotary and the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce. Stevenson and the dealership have played integral roles in both organizations.

Wesley Chapel Nissan has hosted Casino Nights for the Rotary and many events for the chamber, as well as several fund raisers for Dr. O’Neil’s “Clerks for a Cure.” She even hosted her book signing for the release of her book Fighting Cancer Like A Girl at WC Nissan.

O’Neil made a presentation of a plaque to Rosario and dubbed him an “Honorary Deputy Clerk” a month or so before she officially retires from her position.

“You have always stood with me, always supported me,” O’Neil (at right in right photo) told Rosario. “You’ve shown us what it means to be invested in a community. Wherever you go, know that we’re always on your side.”

But, the dealership’s internet sales director Crystal Enger (top right photo on next page) stole the show — and the hearts of everyone in attendance — when she gave Rosario a framed card with messages from every employee. The gift was nice, but many tears were shed when Crystal said, “You gave everyone a chance — whether it was somebody who had been sleeping in their car, whether it was someone who used to clean houses or someone who didn’t know where they were getting their next meal — you are the root of why we’re able to grow. We thank you for who you are, and for your heart.”

No, there wasn’t a dry eye in the place after that one. Rosario, who has won many awards for his business acumen, also is an Orange County Reserve Deputy who was one of the first on the scene after the Pulse Night Club shooting.

Of course, the Morgan Auto Group is one of the biggest in the state with 36 total dealerships, and certainly one of the biggest in the Tampa Bay area, with WC Nissan being the 12th under the Morgan umbrella (which also includes MINI of Wesley Chapel).

“We’re all local, we’re all right here in Tampa Bay,” Morgan said at the event of Snedic and the new Nissan management team. “And, the reality is, we do want to continue the relationships in this community.”