Tint By Masters Gulf Coast Can Keep Your Home Safe & Sun-Free!

In the early hours of Friday morning, Feb. 23, someone in a hazmat suit tried vigorously to break through the glass at the New Tampa Mosque on Morris Bridge Rd. to get inside and set the place on fire.

The arsonist was foiled. The window wouldn’t break.

When Ryan King heard the news that the windows could not be breached, he was thrilled.

“Those were our windows,’’ he says. “They said it was shatter-proof glass on the news (on TV), but it wasn’t. It was our window film.”

King, who owns Tint by Masters Gulf Coast, has been servicing windows for 16 years, including hundreds of homes in New Tampa.

Not everyone requires the kind of security the mosque did, but that is just one application of the window film that Tint by Masters Gulf Coast provides.

More popular uses in residential areas, especially in bigger homes with big windows, are for decoration, heat control, UV protection and privacy. King also does decorative work, like specific designs or frosted glass for residential and commercial buildings.

King has been at his current location in the Nancy Plaza on Westshore Blvd. in South Tampa for six years, and before that he had locations in St. Petersburg and Orlando.

He says he was finishing his degree in 3D Animation from Seminole State College in Orlando when he started in the business, because it allowed him the flexibility he needed to fit in his coursework.

After doing a few internships, King says he decided to go into window film full-time, starting his company in 2002.

“It was good to me,’’ King says, “and I was good at it.”

As anyone who has tried to apply their own window film can attest, being good at it is no easy task and requires surgeon-like precision. Getting a film on your cell phone without any bubbles or lines can be tough enough, but large windows on the front or back of a home can be painstaking.

King, who carries a $2-million insurance policy on jobs, said that if the window tinting is properly installed, you won’t even know it’s there.

Cooling Off

Car owners have been tinting their automobile’s windows for decades, both for the privacy and to protect the interior of their vehicles from the sun’s harsh rays.

Homeowners are following suit, for most of the same reasons.

This window has film on it, meaning despite the sun hitting the couch, it will not cause the furniture to fade, nor will it make sitting on the couch hot and uncomfortable.

With temperatures rising, and along with it the costs of keeping your home at a comfortable temperature, it is becoming imperative, especially in homes facing the sun, to invest in some form of sun protection.

While curtains, drapes and blinds are the most popular choices, King says window film is actually a better option.

“We can stop as much as 75 percent of the heat coming into somebody’s house,’’ says King, one of 50 or so authorized 3M Window Film dealers in the state. “We can stop 99.9 percent of the UV (ultra violet) rays coming through (the windows) as well.”

Many people buy their homes because of the view large the windows afford them. King says the proper window film allows them to take advantage of big windows by not having to cover them up.

Melissa Fernandez Bunch lives in a 112-year-old home in South Tampa. With single-pane glass windows with no window coverings at all, “we were having trouble keeping the house cool.”

Her air conditioning repairman suggested window film, and to make his point, he used a device that took the temperature of the wall in their back room that faced the sun. It was 15 degrees warmer than the other walls in the room.

“He suggested solar film,’’  Bunch says. “Honestly, we were not sure it would make a huge difference, but we were willing to give it a shot. And it made  tremendous difference. There is definitely a noticeable temperature change, for sure.”

King says there are numerous options for your window film, and it can be as dark as you want it, or as light, with the same reflective properties. Many window films can keep the sun out or reduce its glare without distorting your view of things on the other side of the window.

“Ours is 100-percent unnoticeable from the exterior,” Bunch says. “And they did such a good job applying it you can’t even see at the edge where it stops.”

Bunch wanted to keep her view through her windows open and clear, though others use curtains — namely the so-called “blackout” curtains in severe cases — which can do a good job of keeping the light out of a room.

The heat, however, is another issue.

“You take in the same amount of heat behind a blackout curtain,’’ King says. “You get the same heat load behind the curtain, it’s still piling in, still seeping out the tops and the sides and bottom. It’s just not hitting you all at once.”

King says the cost savings on one’s electric bill can be significant. He says some customers have been 5-7 degrees cooler after window film, and that typical payback on what you spent to have any window film products installed is 3-5 years. During the colder months, the window film also can help keep the heat in.

Depending on the size and number of windows you need protected, coverage can cost anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars.

A more comfortable temperature is just one reason people decide to use window films. Another is preventing sun damage, to your floors and furniture, and to yourself.

“I just did a house last week where the person who moved had two huge oriental rugs, and when they moved out and the next guy moved in, you could see big huge rectangles where the rugs were,’’ King said. “They didn’t face south, west or east, it was just north and it was just the sun bouncing off the water (and causing the fading on the floors). If you’re going to put in $10,000 worth of wood floors, you want to keep that floor from fading.”

Most people don’t even realize these effects are even happening, King says. Same goes for the sun hitting the back of your neck when sitting on the couch. In fact, it’s those people who King says become his customers.

“With the sun hitting you it’s like being at the beach,’’ King says. “You put sunscreen on when you’re sitting outside at the beach, but just because you’re cool (inside) doesn’t mean its not happening.”

Safety is another benefit of window film, although much of that business is commercial. King has done some community clubhouses in New Tampa with the same protective window film he installed at the New Tampa Mosque in December.

When the friend he worked on the mosque project with texted him that morning, King got a rare glimpse into the success of the film.

“It’s rare that it’s tested in that situation,’’ King says. “I’ve seen it work before, but you have to wonder how crazy somebody is to sit there and beat on it for hours on end. A typical criminal is going to be, ‘It didn’t break, it didn’t fall out, I’m moving on.”

King has a done a number of big and small jobs, including some he can’t even talk about.

He has done a number of downtown buildings, repaired and tinted windows in the traffic controller tower at Tampa International Airport, and recently completed a project putting in “one-way” mirror film at a rehabilitation resort.

Tint by Masters Gulf Coast (3648 S. Westshore Blvd.) serves customers across Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties and is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5p.m. For more info, call (813) 571-5750 or see the ad on page 34.

Las Palmas Café Is A Lot More Than Just Great, Authentic Cuban Cuisine!

When the husband-and-wife team of Chef Ramses and Ana Garcia took over Las Palmas Café in the Pebble Creek Collection four years ago this month, the restaurant was already a popular little place that not enough people outside of Pebble Creek knew about.

Today, in addition to revamping the interior, Ramses says he “changed literally everything on the menu” to make the Cuban dishes more authentic. And, using his training from places he worked for in his hometown of Miami, he has slowly added many other menu items, some of which are not traditionally Cuban, although everything we’ve sampled on Las Palmas’ extensive (but never expensive) menu has been delicious.

In fact, there are so many great items available at this still-hidden gem that I didn’t have room for a pic of what has always been my favorite dish at Las Palmas — the merluza a la Rusa, or flaky, breaded white fish with a unique topping of hard boiled eggs, pimiento and parsley.

Instead, I did include a pic of Ramses’ equally delicious (and less fattening) grilled fish, with a side of yellow rice, and his grilled chicken with a side of homemade fried plantains.

I’m all about trying new things, so I told Ramses to make some of his favorite dishes for us to sample at the Neighborhood News, and he didn’t disappoint.

First up was a fried yuca appetizer, served with a delicious cilantro lime dipping sauce. I don’t always love the consistency of yuca, but Ramses no doubt knows how to make it crisp, tender and very tasty.

Ramses’ award-winning “historic” Cuban sandwich also didn’t make it onto these two pages, in part because his full-page ad on page 41 has such a gorgeous picture of it, but also because he wanted me to try his equally tasty Cuban club sandwich, which includes ham, turkey, bacon and Swiss cheese, with lettuce, tomato and mayo pressed on perfect Cuban bread.

“Our traditional Cuban incudes our famous roast pork, ham and Swiss, with mustard, mayo and pickles pressed on Cuban bread,” Ramses says. “We entered the Cuban Sandwich Festival for the first time in April (as reported last issue) and we were proud to win, but not surprised. We sold more than 1,000 mini-Cubans in the two days of the festival. By the time they announced that we had won (on Sun.), we were already almost sold out.”

Other traditional Cuban cuisine Ramses made sure we tried were the Havana Trio — ropa vieja (shredded beef), roast pork (lechon) and picadillo (ground beef with olives and veggies in tomato sauce), and Ramses’ must-try braised ox tail.

I told Ramses that I had only ever had ox tail at Jamaican restaurants, and usually, it was in a soup, which I didn’t love. But, his ox tail is in big pieces, on the bone like a veal or pork shank, in a dark, savory sauce.

“We only make ox tail on Thursday,” Ramses said on my recent Thursday visit. “But, we braise it for six hours and have regulars who come in every week for it.”

And, as if on cue, in stepped Bob, a Pebble Creek resident whose first words were, “Where’s the grumpy guy? I’m here for my ox tail.”

Other new and old favorites of mine at Las Palmas include the grilled flank steak with chimichurri sauce, the breaded  steak milanese with marinara sauce and Italian cheese, the “masitas” (pork chunks) and tender, grilled pork chops.

One item I couldn’t try that everyone else in our office raved about is the shrimp in garlic sauce, served with a side of homemade tostones (large and not sweet fried green plantains). If you’re not allergic to shrimp, I definitely suggest dipping Ramses’ perfect Cuban bread in the sauce.

Other popular appetizers include ham, chicken or cheese croquettes, empanadas and pork tamales. Soups include black bean, chickpea and chicken tortilla. Try the house and Las Palmas salads (the creamy herbal dressing is addictive), too.

Other favorites on the menu include the chicken and yellow rice, the Cuban-Creole shrimp stew, the “vaca frita” (crispy beef), the Cuban rafters (merluza topped with shrimp), Ramses’ steak sandwich (unbreaded palomillo steak topped with sautĂ©ed onions and shoestring potatoes) and the fried fish sandwich.

Daily Lunch Specials & More!         

Even though all of the entrées on the menu are only $8.99-$14.99, many of the previously mentioned favorites (including picadillo, ropa vieja, pork chops and more) are available as lunch specials (with white or yellow rice and a side item) for only $7.99-$8.99 for lunch.

There’s also a great kids menu, with all items $4.99 or less, an extensive catering menu and many homemade desserts, including flan, rice pudding, creme brulĂ©e, triple chocolate truffle cake and Ramses’ homemade tres leches dessert, which Bob says is, “the best I’ve had anywhere and I’ve had it all over the world. Do yourself a favor and try it for yourself!”

Las Palmas Café is located at 19651 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., in the Pebble Creek Collection. It is open Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m., and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on Saturday (closed Sunday). For more information, call (813) 907-1333, or visit LasPalmasCafe.net. And please, tell Ramses and Ana that we sent you!

Euro Pilates Has The Experience You Need To Get Stronger & Feel Better Safely

Maria Ivanova and her daughter Ania are two of the certified Pilates trainers you’ll find at Euro Pilates, located just south of County Line Rd. in New Tampa.

As a child growing up in Russia, Maria Ivanova was diagnosed with severe scoliosis (curvature of the spine). She persisted as a professional rhythmic gymnast anyway, but when she retired, she says she was in a lot of pain.

“I was looking for medications or anything to help me feel better,” Maria says. Instead of finding a pill to cure her pain, she discovered Pilates, a form of exercise designed to improve physical strength and flexibility.

“Pilates made me feel so good,” she says. “And, when you’re in pain, you just want to feel better.”

That was the beginning of a journey that led her to become a master trainer, certified in all levels of Stott Pilates — known as a contemporary approach to original Pilates with a rigorous and thorough education method — and to spend the rest of her life teaching and training others using Pilates. She has been a certified instructor for about 12 years now.

Maria is the owner of Euro Pilates, located in the Countyline Professional Center, just south and east of the corner of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and County Line Rd. (behind Walgreens). Maria moved to her current location in 2015, after being upstairs in the MidFlorida Credit Union building, also on BBD, since opening about 10 years ago.

New clients to Euro Pilates start with at least three one-on-one personal training sessions to become familiar with this unique system of exercise. Then, they can then choose to continue personal training, or try out the many classes offered. Many clients do a combination of both classes and individual training.

“I’m here every day,” says Nicole Regush of Wesley Chapel. “Seven years ago, I had just had a baby and wanted to strengthen my muscles. I started doing private sessions three times a week and I just got addicted because I felt so good.”

Nicole adds, “It’s nice to have a combination of both independent and group training. In a private session, you focus on your needs more, like if your hips are tight or your back is bothering you that day. In groups, it keeps me motivated because I see others who are stronger than me, and we get to try so many different equipment options.”

  • That includes Pilates equipment called a Cadillac machine, reformer, chair, barrel, and more, all designed to help people strengthen and elongate muscles throughout their bodies.

Maria says Pilates lengthens the muscles so they look lean and strong. She says once clients start, they often stay for years. “Some clients become very dear friends.”

In fact, Maria says, a group of clients recently attended Maria’s daughter Ania’s graduation from USF together. Ania also is a trainer in the studio, who now holds a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Sports Science and works at Euro Pilates full time. “I have successfully cloned myself,” Maria laughs, saying that Ania’s training style is so much like hers that Euro Pilates clients can easily train with either one of them and not skip a beat.

Ania has worked at Euro Pilates for three years now. “I really enjoy it,” she says. “The people who come here are awesome. Plus, I like to travel and this job gives me a lot of freedom to do that. For example, I’m getting ready to get a yoga certification in India.”

Why Pilates?

Maria explains that, as she did, some people first turn to Pilates because they are in pain. “If someone has scoliosis or rotated hips, or has little pains here or there, or if they’ve had major surgery such as a hip replacement or back surgery, we are trained to help.”

She says she is not a physical therapist, but has similar knowledge, thanks to her Stott Pilates training. “Everything we do is good for you,” she says. “We explain why we do certain things, like to make certain muscles tighter, to align the body and provide muscle balance.”

Others find Pilates for general strength training and physical fitness. Maria says Pilates doesn’t just work the major, global muscles, but also local muscles. So, for example, in the leg, the quad muscle does all the work and your gluteus maximus (butt muscle) does none. Pilates “wakes up” that glute muscle and strengthens it. Maria says, “We pay attention to the smallest details of movement.”

Many women discover Pilates when they are pregnant and don’t want to lose muscle tone. Maria says she and the other instructors at Euro Pilates are trained to help clients who are pre- and post-partum. Sometimes people come to Maria when other gym routines don’t seem sustainable.

“Ladies — especially those over 40 —often find us because they don’t want to be flipping tires in a parking lot or they realize running may not be good for them, so they want smart strength training. It’s not always working harder that gets results. Sometimes, it’s about working smarter.”

Maria says that’s what her extensive training in Pilates allows her to teach. For example, she says, there’s no need to push through pain in your lower back to make your back stronger. “The stronger your abs are, the more you can elongate your back, so you really want to work on ab strength. People just don’t know that.”

Connie Bainbridge, a New Tampa resident, found Euro Pilates nine years ago when she and her husband and were looking to get into better physical shape. “We both had previously had cancer and heard that Pilates was good for rehabilitation and strengthening,” she says. “We came in and tried it and it was the perfect exercise for both of us. It was strengthening, but it wasn’t as intense as a boot camp.”

Connie, who is now 60, reports she is in much better shape now physically than she was when she started. “The classes are small and you get personal attention,” she says. “It’s very motivating. The instructors know exactly what you can do, so they train you at your level to get you to a higher level.”

She says she’s been going to Euro Pilates three times a week for nine years, doing both personal training and group classes, and says, unlike other people she knows who train at other gyms, she’s never had an injury from working out at Euro Pilates.

“It’s a fun exercise,” says Connie. “In the past when I’ve quit going to gyms it’s been because I’ve been bored, but I’ve never been bored here. Plus, I have no aches and pains, no medications, and I feel I’m in better physical shape than many people my age.”

Professional Athletes, Too

Even professional athletes come to Euro Pilates to strengthen their core. Chad Reed is an international motocross and supercross champion, originally from Australia, who now lives outside of Wesley Chapel.

“Doing what I do on a motorcycle,” Chad says, “you need to be fit and strong, and also need to be flexible. Working with Maria gives me that combination of strength and flexibility. With her past experience as an athlete, she understands the recovery days and the hard days.”

He says he first discovered Euro Pilates in 2010, when he and his wife were living in New Tampa. “I really didn’t know or understand what Pilates was,” Chad says. “I had a vision of yoga, but it’s different and really challenging.”

He recently started working out with Maria again after a hiatus. “My wife and I have had three children in six years, so it’s been a whirlwind in our personal lives,” he says. Now that he’s back doing Pilates again, along with bicycling, running and spending time on a motorcycle, he says, “Pilates ties my fitness program together. To be honest, I felt like it was a missing link I had.”

Chad says the workouts are a good fit for him. “I have three kids and a wife and a professional career, and — like most people —my time is precious,” he says. “I can get in and get out and have someone looking out for me making sure I’m doing everything correctly, so I’m not going to put myself in a position where I’m going to get an injury.”

Give It A Try…

There’s no membership fee at Euro Pilates. Clients pay per class or purchase a package of classes. Classes are small, with a maximum of five students in classes with equipment and a maximum of eight with no equipment.

“Because we know everyone and how they are feeling,” says Maria, “we are attentive to their needs in a way that’s not possible in a larger group.”

Beyond Pilates, there are other classes that use Pilates techniques for a different type of workout, such as Barre or Yoga-Lates, a relaxing combination of yoga and Pilates, set to soothing music, that is offered on Sunday mornings.

Maria also teaches Kizomba classes, a smooth, sensual dance that originated in Angola. Maria was the first Kizomba teacher in Florida, and is known as “Kizomba Chick,” traveling the country teaching and organizing Kizomba festivals.

For more info, visit the studio at 20743 Center Oak Dr. in Tampa or at www.Euro-Pilates.com, or call (813) 756-4000.

Nibbles and Bytes

Irish31 in Hyde Park.

Irish 31 & Noble Crust Still On The Way, But…

It seems like new dining options are opening near the Tampa Premium Outlets (TPO) almost every day (e.g., signs for the previously announced Wendy’s and Taco Bell have recently gone up across the street from TPO), but the restaurant question the most people ask me is “Are Noble Crust and Irish 31 still coming to the Shops at Wiregrass?”

Irish31 in Hyde Park.
Irish31 in Hyde Park.

The answer is a resounding “yes,” but neither restaurant looks like it will be ready to open by the end of this month, which was the last thing I heard from Noble Crust Wesley Chapel GM Will Perez and founder TJ Theilbar a couple of weeks ago.

Even so, Irish 31, which has existing locations in Westchase, Westshore, at Amalie Arena and Hyde Park Village, all in Tampa, will open its first Pinellas County location on Clearwater Beach and its first Pasco location at Wiregrass, hopefully sometime in July.

We told you about Irish 31, which is owned by former USF football star Jay Mize, before any other news medium, back in January 2016. The Irish 31 at Wiregrass will be 2,800 sq. ft. and will feature the same great chef-inspired cuisine (like the delicious grilled chicken ploughman’s salad above left) as the other Irish 31 locations.

Visit Irish31.com for more details.

Meanwhile, Noble Crust, which had a widely viewed WCNT-tv episode following its second place People’s Choice award at the Taste of New Tampa, has a 4th St. in St. Petersburg location that continues to impress me with its array of delicious Italian cuisine with a southern twist, like the bucatini pasta with beef, lamb and pork meatballs pictured above center. Just get it open, guys!

For more info, visit Noble-Crust.com.

Taco Son Opens On 54!

Anytime you can offer big servings of good food at a fair price, you have a potential formula for success. One new restaurant that seems to have solved this equation is the third location of Taco Son, which has existing locations in St. Pete and on N. 56th St. in Temple Terrace, and is now open in the Freedom Plaza (next to Grey Wolf Armory; see ad on pg. 37) at 30056 S.R. 54.

Owner Raymond Rodriguez is an extremely personable, hands-on owner and he knows how to give his customers authentic Mexican fare and very fair value for their money, like the two-taco combination plate (with rice and beans; left) for just $7.99. The place has been packed for lunch and dinner every day since it opened in May and the customers all seem very happy.

Check out Taco Son and tell Raymond and his crew that you read about them in the Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News! For info, call (813) 528-8892 or visit TacoSonMexicanGrill.com.

The Chamber Stays Busy

If you think the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) is going to slow its roll anytime soon, guess again.

With the frenetic pace of construction in our area, especially here in “the Chap,” even if the summer schedule is a little less full than it has been the last month for the WCCC, there will still be plenty for Chamber business members — and the community — to do during what looks to be a long, hot summer.

In May, the Chamber has held its Monthly Business Breakfast on May 2, where Pasco Hernando State College VP of Academic Affairs & College Provost Dr. Stanley Giannet was the featured speaker. Dr. Stan, who used to be the Provost at the PHSC Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, is always a dynamic speaker and he and the faculty and staff of PHSC have a lot to look forward to, including the future expansion of the Porter Campus.

The Chamber also hosted an unfortunately controversial ribbon cutting for U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis’ new office inside the chamber office. There also was another well-attended Coffee Social at Buttermilk Provisions, the Audi Wesley Chapel groundbreaking (see page 11), ribbon-cutting ceremonies on May 24 at the new Axiom Bank inside the Walmart on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in New Tampa and at the beautiful, new Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tampa North-Wesley Chapel (see below). There also was an outstanding Economic Development Briefing from Wiregrass Sports Complex at Pasco County developer RADDSPORTS (see story on page 6), and another fun Final Friday networking social at Glory Days Grill in New Tampa on May 26.

I also wanted to give a special shout-out to the folks at the new Holiday Inn Express, which hosted one of the best Grand Opening  events I’ve attended, with delicious food from Puff ‘n Stuff Catering and lots of great giveaways, as well as tours of this beautiful, new hotel located adjacent to Florida Hospital Center Ice.

This month, you can attend another Monthly Business Breakfast at PHSC on Tuesday, June 6, where the Chamber will debut its new “Explore Wesley Chapel New Tampa” video; a ribbon cutting on Thursday, June 8, at The Joint Chiropractic in New Tampa; another free Coffee Social at Buttermilk Provisions on BBD in Wesley Chapel on Tuesday, June 20; another Economic Development Briefing at the Pebble Creek Golf Club on Thursday, June 22, featuring representatives of the under-construction Lexus of Wesley Chapel; a ribbon cutting and family field day at Pioneer Museum in Dade City on Saturday, June 24; and another Final Friday networking social, at Pinot’s Palette in the Shoppes of New Tampa at Wesley Chapel plaza (next to Office Depot), off BBD.

Please note that not all Chamber events are free, although most are open to the public. For info (including all start times for these events), call (813) 994-8534 or visit WesleyChapelChamber.com.

Racetrac close, Culver’s coming

Buying food from a gas station used to be unthinkable. But, the days of stopping in to your local convenience store for a shriveled up hot dog or to stick a frozen burrito in a microwave are over.

You can count Racetrac, including the new one getting ready to open on the southeast corner of BBD and Cypress Preserve Dr., among the convenience stores that have been evolving over the years and making food service, good coffee and even household items a staple of its business.

The new Racetrac, which is located directly across Cypress Preserve Dr. from the Chase bank and LA Fitness in Tampa Palms, is expected to be open by mid-June. It is among those gas stations putting an emphasis on making themselves into food destinations.

Wawa, located right up the road in Wesley Chapel on S.R. 56, has perfected this experience. Many mornings, there are more people sitting at red iron tables outside eating than filling their cars with gas, and the quality food has attained a cult-like status.

Racetrac, which also has a S.R. 56 location, is spending millions remodeling its stores to have extra seating and WiFi, so customers can order food and even stop in with the kids for frozen yogurt at one of the Swirl World stations — boasting 40 or so toppings for your dessert — without having to eat it on the go.

The 5,928-sq.-ft. Tampa Palms location will have 18 gas pumps and is one of 50 the Atlanta-based company is opening in Florida (and 10th overall in Tampa), as well as remodeling others.

MORE FOOD: According to paperwork filed with Pasco County, Culver’s Restaurant, which already has a location in front of the Tampa Premium Outlets (or TPO), as well as one on Bearss Ave. near I-275, is hoping to build another near the Shops at Wiregrass.

Culver’s, which is popular in the Midwest (it started in Wisconsin) with its frozen custard and Butterburgers, submitted a pre app form to build a 110-seat, 4,476-sq.ft. restaurant with 66 parking spots immediately east of the Shops at Wiregrass.

The new Culver’s will have direct access off S.R. 56 and the under-construction Wiregrass Ranch access road.

URGENT CARE: BayCare Urgent Care is coming to the New Tampa area, taking over the space formerly occupied by Pier 1 Imports (now at The Walk at Highwoods Preserve). We’ll provide more details in a future issue.