‘Keys With Eeeze’ Inventor Has A Wesley Chapel Connection

When you bring your car to the dealership or an independent auto service center for service, from an oil change to a new transmission, have you ever worried about putting your costly key “fob” in the service center’s after-hours “dropbox?”

I sure have. When one of my electronic keys broke a few years back, leaving me with only one, I remember bringing my car for service at my dealership shortly after it had closed and was left wondering, “What happens if they somehow lose my one remaining key? And, how much will it cost me to replace it?”

Well, thanks to the brother of a friend of mine, worrying about leaving today’s expensive, computerized car keys will soon be a thing of the past, because of a new smartphone app and key drop terminal called “Keys with Eeeze.”

That’s the good news. The even better news is that Keys with Eeeze will one day do more for auto service centers and even rental car companies than just make it more convenient to leave your keys. With everyone in our technologically-driven world begging for speed and convenience, Keys with Eeeze will allow you to step up to a machine that looks very similar to a bank ATM, and with a few touch-screen commands, secure your valuable keys, order whatever services you need, and every time your key or your car moves — from the parking area outside the service center to onto the lift to completion, etc. — you’ll receive a Facebook Instant Message (IM).

In other words, even if it’s not after hours, Keys with Eeeze will allow you to check your car in, order the services you need and pick up your car without ever having to talk to a service writer. How’s that for convenience?

The Wesley Chapel Connection

Keys with Eeeze was invented by a Dillsburg, PA, software developer named Tony Santo. If that name sounds a little familiar to you, you may know Tony’s brother Ken — the former owner of Skinny’s Sports Bar and Santo’s Pizza & Pasta on S.R, 54.

But, Ken is more than just Tony’s brother. Ken and his friend (and former owner of the Silver Ring Café, which also was located in the same Pinebrook at The Grove plaza as Santo’s and Skinny’s) Tim Booth are Tony’s point men to roll out Keys with Eeeze here in Florida. The invention is so new that Ken, Tim and Tony are revamping their existing marketing materials for Keys with Eeeze in order to better capture the attention and imagination of Wesley Chapel’s growing list of auto dealerships, chain and local independent service centers and those rental car companies.

And, Keys with Eeeze is already operational and exceeding expectations back in Dillsburg, where HC Automotive became the first auto repair shop in the world to employ Santo’s incredible, new technology.

Santo says the idea for his invention came to him as he was dropping off his car for service and looking down at the paper envelope he had to fill out by hand, drop his key into and deposit in the box at the dealership’s door. He wondered why anyone, in today’s technologically advanced age, would still be using a system that hasn’t changed much since the 1950s?

According to hard numbers given to Santo by HC Automotive owner Jon Gustafson, who only rolled out the new system at the end of April, the software is more than paying for itself. In fact, although Santo originally estimated that it could take up to a year for a service center to generate enough additional income using Keys with Eeeze to pay for the cost of the software and kiosk, Gustafson’s two-lift service shop generated enough income to justify the expense in less than 120 days!

“We knew we had something special when Tony first told me about Keys with Eeeze,” says his proud brother. “We just didn’t know it would make such a difference so quickly.”

Tony adds, “(Gustafson) says it has revolutionized his business. He tells me that when he first rolled out the kiosk and software at HC Auto, only 10 or 15 percent of the service center’s customers were using it. Just a few months later, 49 percent of his customers are using it and he’s seen a 30-percent increase in revenue, all of which, he says, is directly attributable to Keys with Eeeze.”

Santo’s invention combines an automated software system you can download to your smartphone that will allow you manage your service appointment — from dropping off the key into the kiosk to picking it up after hours. The new technology also allows your key to be coded to your phone and be delivered back to you at the kiosk any time of the day or night.

“Our Keys with Eeeze system puts you in the driver’s seat by giving you the ability to do business on your own time constraints, not the service shop’s,” Santo says. The software alone gives you carte blanche to pick a service date, order various items from a menu, communicate the issues you may be having with your vehicle electronically — concise, legible and in print — and receive instant feedback, updates and digital reports about your vehicle’s condition, all in Facebook Instant Messages to your phone.”

He adds that if necessary, customers also can receive uploaded photos and recall notices about their vehicles, receive an electronic message when their vehicle is ready for pickup and even access easy payment options, “so you can literally bypass the service desk most of the time and only talk to a service rep if there is a problem with your car that needs to be addressed.”

HC Auto has the prototype kiosk for Santo’s system, which only allowed 12 keys to be stored in the kiosk at once, but the newer model shown on the previous page allows up to 30 cars at once to be entered into the system.

“That will be perfect for these dealerships here in Wesley Chapel, some of which have ten or more lifts,” says Ken. “I can’t imagine that a more efficient system than this one for keeping track of all those keys and service orders is going to be invented anytime soon.”

Tony has a patent pending on his invention and is in the process of rolling it out to dealerships and service centers nationwide. Ken and Tim only recently began handling all of Florida for him and say that even though they are still working on the re-tooled Keys with Eeeze website and marketing materials, they’ve already had some great interest.

“Keys with Eeeze is perfect for anyone with a busy lifestyle and millennials are eating it up,” Tony says. “I’m confident that I’ve hit on the right idea at the right time. And, why are there three “eeeze” in Keys With Eeeze? Eeeze of checking in, Eeeze of doing business, Eeeze of checking out!” 

For details, pricing and leasing information, please contact Ken Santo at (813) 727-5794 or visit KeysWithEeeze.com

3D Wellness Pharmacy In The Freedom Plaza Offers A New Dimension Of Care!

Pharmacy assistant Danielle Malone (left) and Doctor of Pharmacy Ngozi Benyard invite you to discover the third dimension in health care at 3D Wellness Pharmacy on S.R. 54.

On a recent Thursday afternoon, Ngozi Benyard, PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy), was working behind the counter at 3D Wellness Pharmacy, when she looked up and saw a car pulling into the parking lot outside.

“I think Mr. Santacruz is here,” she called to her assistant, Danielle Malone. “Can you please bring me his medications?”

Sure enough, a few moments later, José Santacruz walked into the pharmacy, and Ngozi had his medications waiting for him.

“She takes an interest in me,” José says of his pharmacist. “They’re so friendly, and the service is more personalized than at other pharmacies.”

That’s what Ngozi says is the “third dimension in care” referred to in the name of the pharmacy she opened in the Freedom Plaza on S.R. 54 (next to Bosco’s Italian-To-Go), about a mile east of Saddlebrook, in November of last year. Ngozi says that third dimension is two-fold. First, it’s the above-and-beyond level of service you can expect if you get your medications there. (It’s pretty much guaranteed that the pharmacist at the local big box retailer isn’t looking out the window, awaiting your arrival.) And, she adds, it’s the role that the pharmacist plays in your health care.

“There’s you, your doctor, and the pharmacist,” Ngozi says. “The pharmacist is an integral part of that triad. You might see several doctors, and the pharmacist sees all of the medications that all of your doctors prescribe.”

Ngozi earned her PharmD degree from Florida A&M University in Tallahassee in 2004. She worked at Tampa General Hospital, and then was the lead pharmacist specializing in infectious diseases — for the entire Central Florida region — for a major retail chain. She and her husband, Jamel, who is a U.S. Navy veteran, are the owners of 3D Wellness Pharmacy.

“Moving up the corporate ladder takes you away from what you learned in school,” says Ngozi. “With my patients now, I know all about them. I know when they go to the hospital and I know what pains them.”

Ngozi can compound your medications at 3D Wellness Pharmacy.

She explains that some pharmacies – especially big chains — often don’t have time to counsel and truly care for their patients. If their queue gets too long, they will hear from their district manager that they’re not fast enough. Ngozi says all that matters at the chain stores is the bottom line.

“Here, we treat you like a patient, not a number,” she says. “We’re your local neighborhood pharmacy, where you can get all of your medications, including compounded medications, and that extra dimension of care.”

She says that also includes holistic care, such as vitamins and supplements for overall wellness. “Certain medications deplete nutrients,” she says, “so I’ll suggest a vitamin. For arthritis, I’ll recommend cherry juice or capsules. For high blood pressure, apple cider vinegar.”

Rxight Genetic Testing

Beyond what you would typically expect from a pharmacy, Ngozi offers additional services to help her patients and give them options they might not have even known were available to them.

She says she is the only pharmacist in Wesley Chapel and surrounding areas that is certified and trained to offer the Rxight (pronounced “Right”) pharmacogenetic test.

“The Rxight test is precision medical test,” explains Ngozi. “It tests more than 200 medications and tells us if your body metabolizes them too fast, which means you’re not getting the efficacy of your medications, or if it’s not metabolizing properly, which is when the medicine accumulates and you get side effects.”

She says that adverse reactions to medicine is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S., so getting the proper medications and doses is extremely important, and can sometimes even be lifesaving.

So that we could see exactly how it works, Ngozi offered the Rxight test to Rita McLaughlin, my mother-in-law, who is a great candidate for it because she regularly takes several medications.

Rita stopped in for a quick cheek swab, and the swabs were sent to a lab. About two weeks later, Ngozi received a report and went over the results with Rita.

“It was amazing,” Rita said. “It was a lot more information than I thought it would be. It assured me that the medications I’m taking now are the right ones, and in the right dosages.”

Rita says she found the results to be trustworthy, because they lined up with the experiences she has had with her medications.

“For example, with my cholesterol medication, I had quite a time getting the right one,” she says. “One gave me side effects, another worked, but then my doctor changed the dose and it worked better.”

The medicine she finally ended up with is what the test revealed she should take. That confirmation, along with other information she felt correlated to her experiences, made Rita believe the Rxight test was worthwhile.

“For the future, if I ever need a blood thinner, the results say there are two medications I shouldn’t take,” Rita says. “I would absolutely abide by that.”

As a final step in the process, Rita will be given a wallet-sized card that outlines exactly what she should and should not take, and which doses, to be able to present to a hospital or doctor in time of need. In addition, she has the option to share the report with all of her doctors.

The test is somewhat expensive, at $399, but because it is based on genetics, it is a one-time test that gives results for the rest of your life. It can allow someone to skip over the back-and-forth of trying different medications and different doses to go straight to what medication will be mostly likely to work for them.

“This test is especially great for kids with ADHD,” says Ngozi. “Instead of trying one med that makes them sleepy, and then another where they don’t sleep at all, and then another to wait and see what happens, you can just do this test. Then, your kid isn’t used like a guinea pig to try a whole bunch of different medications.”

She says parents will know definitively what medications will work best for their child with no side effects.

Another great example, she says, is for people who get a blood clot and are put on a blood thinner. Will it work? “You could get another clot in the time it takes to figure out if you’re on the right dose of the right medicine,” Ngozi says. “With this test, you don’t have to guess.”

Ngozi personally goes over the results with each patient, so all of your questions are answered, and she’s able to help you manage your medications with the information from the test.

Women’s Health

“We have a focus on women,” says Ngozi, “and we’re especially passionate about new moms.”

Both Ngozi and Danielle are moms to two boys, and both are advocates of breastfeeding.

“Times have changed for breastfeeding moms,” Ngozi says. “Pumps are now covered by insurance, and they are so much more comfortable than they used to be.”

Renting a pump from 3D Wellness Pharmacy includes shipping or delivery and, perhaps the most important thing a new mom needs, encouragement from both Ngozi and Danielle.

The pharmacy also offers a libido enhancement for women that Ngozi calls “scream cream.”

“We hear all about enhancements for men, but why should we be left out?” Ngozi asks. “We often provide (scream cream) for women with fertility issues. You have to have a prescription from your doctor, but you can ask us about it and we can give you the information to discuss with your doctor.”

While it’s not proprietary, Ngozi says that she won’t publicly reveal exactly what’s in the “scream cream.”

“I’m known for compounding it and I’m good at it,” she says with a smile. “We want to be a place where women can come in, see familiar faces, and feel comfortable asking questions.”

While Danielle is new to the pharmacy, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology in 2003, where she was a pre-med major, from Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans, and is excited to be helping Ngozi — and the patients — at 3D Wellness Pharmacy.

“Wellness is very intentionally a part of our name and our logo,” explains Danielle. “We want to help you get well and stay well.”

3D Wellness Pharmacy is open Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., and will ship or deliver medications. For more information, visit 3DWellnessPharmacy.com, or call (813) 428-6000.

Karen Tillman-Gosselin & Renynold Gosselin Sell More Than Just Luxury Homes

The husband-and-wife team of Renynold Gosselin & Karen Tillman-Gosselin of Smith & Associates Real Estate can help you buy the luxury home of your dreams or help you sell your home.

According to long-time Tampa-area real estate agent Karen Tillman-Gosselin, whether a person is looking to sell or buy a home, it is most likely the most important and largest financial decision that they are making.

“Having a real estate agent who can listen to your wants and needs and help you find that one house you will make your home is crucial,” Karen says. “That agent needs to put you first, then properly coordinate all aspects — from negotiations and inspections to ensuring that the transaction becomes a reality.”

Karen knows what it takes to do that.

During her decades-long career in real estate, she has sold more than $150 million of real estate. She has been so successful, in fact, that she was named one of the top 25 agents in the Tampa Bay area in 2005 by the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

Karen currently is one of the top 10 producers at Smith & Associates Real Estate, a boutique firm based in South Tampa that has been in business 45 years and is the largest independent real estate office in the Tampa Bay area, with 245 agents and $1.2 billion in transactions in 2016.

Karen joined Smith & Associates in 2012.

“It’s a big company, but not as well known in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel as it is in South Tampa,” she says.

The Gosselins specialize in luxury homes (such as this one in Westchase that is currently listed by Karen and Renynold), although they can help you buy or sell virtually any home in any price category.

Prior to joining Smith & Associates, Karen worked for many years for local offices of Florida Executive Realty, Keller Williams and Casa Fina Realty.

“I find Smith to be a good fit for me,” she says. “It just feels right. I like their reputation and that the company is really big on giving back to the community, in both time and money.”

Smith & Associates’ commitment to the community is especially important to Karen.

She is highly involved in many community organizations that are meaningful to her, including the Rotary Club of New Tampa, the Board of Directors of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (as its current membership chair), and several other organizations, including some at the University of South Florida.

Although Smith & Associates is known as a luxury firm — and Karen does sell luxury homes and specialize in relocating executives to the Tampa Bay area — she also represents buyers and sellers at any price point, even first-time home buyers.

Karen’s husband, Renynold Gosselin, has worked with her “behind the scenes” since they both got their real estate licenses in 2000.

Renynold recently retired from a 30-year career with Verizon and is now Karen’s full-time partner in real estate.

While Renynold was born and raised in Tampa, Karen has also lived here nearly her entire life. She moved to the area as a child, when her father was stationed at MacDill Air Force Base.

“We know the Tampa Bay market so well from living here,” she says.

The couple bought a home in Tampa Palms more than 30 years ago, back when the closest grocery stores were either at S.R. 54 or in Temple Terrace, where their daughter attended school because there were no schools built in Tampa Palms yet.

“We’ve seen such growth in this area,” Karen says.

Setting The Stage Properly

Karen first got into real estate when she was working as an interior designer, often staging homes for sale for real estate agents. She uses that background in interior design to be sure her clients’ homes look their best.

“My experience as an interior designer means I can stage a house so it looks good and sells faster,” she says.

Karen and Renynold agree that one of the most important parts of selling a house is ensuring that it has great photographs online.

“First impressions are so important,” says Renynold, “and now, those first impressions are the pictures they see online.”

He adds, “So many people are moving into the area from up north, and buyers tell their agents which houses they want to see, based just on pictures.”

So, Karen and Renynold provide a 3D tour of each home they list. The tour is so comprehensive, it can even be viewed in virtual reality to feel like you’re actually walking through the home.

While they take a lot of photos themselves, they will hire a professional photographer — and will even do drone photography if it’s needed. And, with all of their years of success helping buyers and sellers, they know when it’s needed.

“We make sure we have the right price, the right pictures, and the right advertising,” Renynold says. “Each house is unique.”

Karen says she and Renynold are by their clients’ side throughout the entire process, paying attention to every detail.

“It can be very overwhelming to sell a house,” she says. “It’s not easy to put a house on the market, especially with kids and pets, and people often want to see it at the last minute, so we try to have a calming effect on all of that.”

Their expertise can make the entire process much easier on buyers and sellers.

“There are always new situations and you have to figure out what to do in that situation,” Karen says. “If something unexpected comes up, that’s why we’re there. We try to keep everything as simple and open as possible. An inexperienced agent doesn’t know what to do, but we know how to handle those problems.”

Dennis and Fran Loomis are currently working with the Gosselins to sell their home in West Meadows and buy a home in Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club, located just north of Wesley Chapel in San Antonio.

They are repeat clients who love working with Karen and Renynold, first selling their home in Tampa Palms in 2004, then moving to a new construction home in Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club (TBGCC), then selling that home and moving back to the New Tampa area, in West Meadows, in 2008.

“We’re probably the only people who moved into the same retirement community twice,” jokes Dennis.

He says he continues to work with Karen and Renynold because, “they do a fabulous job. We have a lot of trust in both of them.”

On a recent Monday, Dennis told us, “Our home in West Meadows went on the market on Friday, and we had five or six people look at it over the weekend, and we expect to have a contract today. Karen goes to all the showings, even when she’s not representing the buyer, and she also shows up at inspections.”

He says Karen also has been a constant advocate for him and his wife.

“In my experience, most real estate agents want to get the sale and get the commission, and aren’t really interested in what’s in the best interest of their client,” Dennis says.

Not so with Karen, he adds, citing how she helped him list his home at a higher price point than expected, and negotiate aggressively so the final price of the home remained high.

He says he also appreciates Karen’s attention to detail.

“During the construction of our first home in TBGCC, she went in and put tape on the wall everywhere the paint needed to be touched up,” explains Dennis. “Well, we walked in and saw 50 or 60 pieces of tape. The builder just repainted the whole thing.”

Dennis says the most important thing is that she treats everyone well.

“Karen represents larger transactions, but (even for smaller transactions) she spends time with you just like if you were selling an $800,000 home,” he says.

Karen says that’s a hallmark of her and Renynold’s business.

“We work with everyone, from CEOs to first-time buyers, and it doesn’t matter who the seller is, they all deserve to be treated the same,” she says, adding, “We love what we do, because it is all about making sure that the client’s needs are met.”

For more information, or to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation in your home with Karen Tillman-Gosselin, visit FineHomesOfTampa.com, call (813) 629-1502, or see the ad on page 2 of this issue.

More Eateries & Shops Getting Closer On S.R. 56 Across From The Outlet Mall

The long-dormant stretch of S.R. 56 from Wesley Chapel Blvd. to I-75 has been bustling the past two years. On the south side of 56, development has boomed with the Tampa Premium Outlets, Costco, Cheddars, BJ’s Brewhouse, Longhorn Steakhouse, Culver’s, Chick-fil-A and others, with more yet to come.

Now, it looks like the Cypress Creek Town Center North development across S.R. 56 is starting to catch up.

According to Pasco County building permit records, at least 10 other businesses — including Tex-Mex restaurant Chuy’s and psychedelic pizza place Mellow Mushroom, are in construction on the more than 200 acres of property on the north side of S.R. 56 owned by the Sierra family’s Pasco Ranch, Inc.

Wesley Chapel’s second Wendy’s restaurant has opened on S.R. 56, next to Pollo Tropical.

The coming businesses, all of which are located on Sierra Center Blvd. (which runs through the Cypress Creek Town Center North development), will join the recently opened Ford’s Garage, Pollo Tropical and Wendy’s (which opened the day we went to press), as well as the soon-to-open Taco Bell, all on the north side of 56.

Another popular restaurant, Bahama Breeze Island Grill, is planned a little further to the east of Chuy’s. The owners of that restaurant, which specializes in Caribbean-inspired food and tropical drinks, had their pre-application meeting with county planners on Jan. 30. Bahama Breeze is expected to be roughly 8,000-sq.-ft. with an outdoor seating area.

Mellow Mushroom and Chuy’s Tex-Mex will add to the area’s quickly growing chain food scene. Tennessee-based Hutton Development is building a strip center between the Taco Bell and Bahama Breeze site that will have seven tenants (including Mellow Mushroom).

While new to the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area, Mellow Mushroom is a chain founded in 1974 in Atlanta, and has more than 150 locations in the U.S., including Brandon, Clearwater and West Tampa.

It serves up a variety of specialty pizzas and dozens of different craft beers while specializing in creating an atypical vibe and unusual decor. It offers vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free alternatives as well. Some have referred to Mellow Mushroom as a “hippie” pizza place, as many locations pay homage to the tie-dye style.

Chuy’s is a Tex-Mex chain headquartered in Austin, TX, and established in 1982. It now boasts nearly 100 locations nationwide. The nearest to Wesley Chapel is in Kissimmee, one of the restaurant chain’s five Orlando-area locations. It also has locations in Tallahassee and Gainesville, and is building one in Jacksonville.

Chuy’s offers made-from-scratch Tex-Mex inspired dishes, and varies the look of each link in its chain. According to county permit records, the Wesley Chapel Chuy’s will be 8,492-sq.ft., with 605 of those for an outside patio.

While no opening date is available, let’s hope it’s before Jan. 8, Elvis Presley’s birthday. Each Chuy’s has a shrine to Elvis, and his birthday is celebrated each year at the restaurants with a party…often with an Elvis impersonator.

Many of these new locations appeared on a map produced by leasing agents last year, but one that did appear on that map (that we also ended up showing on our map of the area in our April issues) but is apparently not coming to Cypress Creek Town Center North is Newk’s Eatery. A spokesperson for Newk’s said that the company, based in Jackson, MS, is looking at other options in the Wesley Chapel area, but had no specific locations.

Green Grocer Alert!

And, it’s not just restaurants coming to the north side of S.R. 56.

County permitting records reveal that a Men’s Wearhouse, Great Clips, Mattress Firm and T-Mobile store are on the way, as well as a Five Below discount store, which caters to the pre-teen and teen market and doesn’t sell anything more expensive than $5.

Founded in 2002, Five Below has nearly 600 stores nationwide. The nearest locations are in the North Pointe Plaza on N. Dale Mabry in Tampa, and in Plant City. The Wesley Chapel location will be 8,960-sq.-ft.

Permitting also shows a 24,230-sq.-ft. PetSmart and 89,995-sq.-ft. Dick’s Sporting Goods store coming to the Cypress Creek Town Center, as well as a Burlington Coat Factory. We were unable to find out before our press time how the new Dick’s store would affect the sporting goods chain’s existing Wesley Chapel location in The Grove plaza off S.R. 54

If you think the restaurant scene along S.R. 56 is becoming crowded — which is likely to add almost 20 dining choices in a half-mile or so stretch, the grocery store scene may not be far behind.

Hutton also met with Pasco County planners last month to propose a development of 3.84 acres on the northeast corner of S.R. 56 and Wesley Chapel Blvd. that has appeared on our map as “Regency Shopping Center.” That development (west of Ford’s Garage) would encompass a 35,320-sq.-ft. retail center, which will include a 23,820-sq.-ft. grocery — expected to be a green or boutique grocer — and the remaining 11,500 square feet will house general retail stores.

The proposed grocery store would be just northeast (across S.R. 56) from the proposed Aldi store, and east (across Wesley Chapel Blvd.) from a possible 16,000-sq.-ft. grocery store in the Brightwork Crossing project (north and west of Walgreens; look for more about this new development in a future issue).

Even though many locals still wonder if we’ll ever have anything other than a Publix or a Winn-Dixie in the Wesley Chapel area, these three new stores and the new Costco means a much more competitive marketplace for your grocery dollar is coming very soon.

Irish 31’s Opening Brings Even More Restaurant Excitement To Wiregrass!

The first of the two new restaurants to open at the Shops at Wiregrass mall is the fifth location of Irish 31, which opened on July 7.

Although I missed the actual Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting on July 6 (I arrived a little late; the ribbon-cutting photo on this page was taken by Steve Miller of Stephen John Photography), Irish 31 owner Jay Mize and general manager Mike Forsyth were on hand for it — as was former Tampa Bay Lightning star and New Tampa resident Brian Bradley (who works for the Lightning; he gave away some cool memorabilia), as hundreds of people found their way inside to check out the cool décor, the unique menu and the South Tampa vibe of Mize’s newest Irish 31.

I have only sampled a few items so far on Irish 31’s chef-driven menu, but I did enjoy the boneless wings with Thai chili sauce and the corned beef and cabbage and loaded “boxty” (almost tennis-ball-sized balls of mashed potatoes, mixed with generous helpings of corned beef and cabbage, or bacon, Velveeta cheese and chives, and fried to a golden brown), served with an “Emerald Isle” dipping sauce.

Also among our favorites, at least so far.: The fried zucchini appetizer, the Ploughman’s salad (mixed greens, bacon, roma tomato, hard-boiled egg, bleu cheese, candied pecans and avocado tossed in Irish 31’s really tasty Guinness vinaigrette) and the “Farmer’s Fried chicken — two boneless chicken breasts breaded with seasoned flour, then fried golden brown, and served with mashed potatoes and onion gravy, with a nice side of  fresh market vegetables.

For more information about Irish 31 (28358 Willett Way), visit Irish31.com or call (813) 907-2306. Irish 31 is open every day at 11 a.m. (at 10 a.m. on Sun.) and stays open until midnight Sun.-Wed., until 1 a.m. on Thur. and until 2 a.m. on Fri. and Sat. I haven’t checked it out yet for live music or for Sunday brunch, but the website claims that Irish 31 is renowned as one of the best brunch spots in the Tampa Bay area!