The North Tampa Bay Chamber has had a busy week. On Tuesday, the Chamber introduced its new Board of Directors for 2025. President & CEO Hope Kennedy gave Board member Jamie Hess of Computer Emergency Room her President’s Award for “all of his help with events and finding the Chamber a new office, in addition to his regular Board duties.” And, outgoing Board chair Roberto Hiller of Signarama New Tampa gave Lisa Moore his “Chairman’s Award” for her “outstanding commitment to the Board.” Also introduced on Tuesday were new Board Chair Angelique Lenox of Tampa Family Health and her entire 2025 Board:
Chair Elect Ton Benge of Benge Development
Treasurer Jamie Hess of Computer Emergency Room
Vice-Chair of Economic Development Chad Emory of Emorys Rock Realty
Vice-Chair of Membership Lisa Moore of Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel
Vice-Chair of Governmental Affairs Jennifer Batchelor of Pasco County Schools
Immediate Past Chair Roberto Hiller of Signarama New Tampa
Will Atkins of Cinn-Credible Cinnamon Packets
Tye Fowler of SGD Communications
Ryan Fink of Volkswagen of Wesley Chapel
Dr. Davina Jones of Pasco Hernando State College-Porter Campus
Justin Keeney of Fifth Third Bank
Richrd Matte of AdventHealth Wesley Chapel
Jean Carlo Penaloza of Cat’s Meow Tampa Photography
Albert Verile of Sharpline Investigations
Ralph Sevelius of Boardwalk Wealth Solutions
Chuck Sullivan of McFarland Gould Law
Troy Stevenson of Tampa Bay Mobile Billboards
Then, on Thursday, the Chamber announced its Finalists for its 2024 Celebrating Excellence Awards:
Integrity Award â Main Event Wesley Chapel, Pepin Academies & Scenthound Lutz
Collaboration Award â San Antonio Federal Credit Union, New Tampa Family YMCA & Metropolitan Ministries
Inclusivity Award â Main Event Wesley Chapel, Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel & Turner Construction
The 2024 Chamber Award winners will be announced at the Chamber’s Celebrating Excellence Awards event on Tuesday, January 16, 2025, at the Pasco Hernando State College Performing Arts Center (8657 Old Pasco Rd., Wesley Chapel 33544). The cost to attend is $60 per person. For more info, call (813) 994-8534 or visit NorthTampaBayChamber.com.
Dr. Sam Jureyda welcomes the local community to his Radiance Orthodontics, located in the Tampa Palms Professional Center, off the Bruce B. Downs Blvd. exit off I-75. (Photo provided by Dr. Jureyda)Â
Two decades ago, about 85 percent of dentists owned their own practices, but times have changed drastically.
The New Tampa and Wesley Chapel areas have not escaped the national trend of more dental and orthodontic offices being owned by corporations, instead of the practitioners themselves.
But, Sam Jureyda, DMD, says heâs not interested in selling his Radiance Orthodontics, although he frequently gets offers from corporations wanting to buy his practice.
âDr. J,â as his patients call him, opened Radiance Orthodontics more than eight years ago to provide orthodontic treatments for kids, teens and adults, primarily using braces and Invisalign aligners to move teeth and correct bites. The practice is located in the Tampa Palms Professional Center off of the Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. exit off I-75, near the New Tampa Recreation Center.
When patients visit Radiance Orthodontics, they always see Dr. Jureyda personally. He enjoys getting to know the families who entrust their care to him, and considers his patients to be family.
âIn an era of big box stores,â Dr. Jureyda explains, âweâre still a mom-and-pop.â
He says he wouldnât even consider giving up the time he spends caring for each individual in his practice in order to meet the demands of corporate dentistry.
âWe value the relationship we build with our patients,â Dr. J says.
Before moving into private practice in 2006, and subsequently opening Radiance Orthodontics in 2016, Dr. Jureyda taught graduate-level orthodontics at the University of Buffalo, NY. Prior to that, he earned a Doctorate of Dental Medicine (DMD) from the Boston University School of Dental Medicine, a Certificate of Specialty in Orthodontics from the Howard University College of Dentistry in Washington, DC, and completed a clinical fellowship in Orthodontics from the University of Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, Department of Orthodontics.
His education includes years of studying facial biology and growth dynamics, and his practice has allowed him to treat all types of patients, even those with the most complicated orthodontic needs.Â
Heâs also pleased to have been recognized again in 2024 by Tampa Magazine as one of the Tampa Bay areaâs top dentists, as voted on by dentists across the region.
His peers have recognized that his education and experience make him one of the areaâs best.
His commitment to private practice allows him to maintain a lower volume of patients and spend more time with each person who comes in, which means that patients at Radiance Orthodontics get customized care from an orthodontist who is invested in them personally, whether they choose treatment via traditional braces or Invisalign aligners.
âThere are so many factors that go into a decision about an appliance that you may wear for 18 months or more,â says Dr. Jureyda. âI am always happy to go over all of that information so that you can make the right choice about the treatment plan that is best for you.â
These days, general dentists are more frequently also offering aligners. But, Dr. J offers a deeper understanding of the dentofacial orthopedics involved in aligning teeth and jaws over a lifetime, whether itâs during the early years of childhood growth or even in older adults.
Getting a second opinion from Dr. Jureyda is completely free and may provide additional avenues for treatment or a lower cost than other options.
âWeâre seeing so much inflation right now, which is stretching families,â says Dr. Jureyda. âRadiance Orthodontics is a small business and we are in touch with whatâs happening in our community. We try to walk that fine line between meeting the demands of running a business and keeping our fees affordable and payments flexible for our patients.â
He promises reasonable fees that avoid the need for coupons or complex payment structures.
He suggests that anyone who wants to learn more about his practice search âRadiance Orthodonticsâ for his online Google reviews. All 160+ of the officeâs reviews on Google are five stars and speak to the way Dr. J cares for his patients.
Nicole Shuts moved to New Tampa about two years ago. Her sons already had braces, so she needed to find an orthodontist to continue their care. She says the first one she went to âdidnât feel quite right,â so she kept looking and ultimately found Radiance Orthodontics.Â
âAs soon as I walked in and met Dr. J, I was really impressed with his demeanor,â she says. âHeâs very calm, very intelligent, he knew exactly what problems my sons were facing, and his recommendations were conservative, but on point with what we needed.â
She says one sonâs bite was really bad and his molars werenât even touching. She wanted to bring him to Dr. Jureyda, but she also wanted to double-check her instincts, so she conferred with her sonâs previous orthodontist.
âI told her about the people we interviewed and their proposals,â Nicole explains, âand she steered me toward what I was feeling, which made me super happy because at that point I liked Dr. J already.â
Nicole says the proof is in the results.
âItâs a joy to me that he can chew his food better,â she says of her son. âItâs been two years and weâre very happy. We wouldnât change anything.â
Nicole also is happy with her other sonâs treatment, and appreciates that Dr. J sees her youngest daughter every few months to see if itâs time to start treatment for her yet, as well. Those ongoing consultations are complimentary, as Dr. J keeps an eye on her growth.
âI really appreciate that,â Nicole says. âI know heâs trustworthy and heâs not pushy.â
Carmen Mitchell and her 15-year-old daughter, Kali, are both in treatment with Dr. Jureyda. Carmen explains she didnât have braces as a child and her deep bite was causing breakage in her teeth. To prevent further breakage, her dentist recommended Invisalign. And although the dentist gave her a fair price for those aligners, she didnât feel that the office was fully prepared for the details of the specialty treatment.
But, it was totally different when she saw Dr. Jureyda for a free consultation.
âHeâs very knowledgeable and gets to know you as a patient,â she says, âand then he makes sure the service heâs providing is tailored to you.â
When her daughterâs dentist suggested an orthodontic evaluation, she knew she would bring her to Dr. Jureyda, too.
âI like the way he talks to her as the patient,â Carmen adds. âSheâs involved in her own care, which is important.â
Supporting The Community, Too
As a former educator, Dr. Jureyda makes it a high priority to support students and educators in our community, and Carmen says she wants to support Radiance so he can continue to do so.
Not only is Radiance Orthodontics a long-term business partner of all of New Tampaâs public schools (and some Wesley Chapel schools, as well), he also awards scholarships each spring to a graduating senior at both Wharton and Freedom high schools. These scholarships recognize students who have demonstrated a commitment to serving the community through volunteering. Last year, he also offered scholarships to seniors at King and Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate high schools.
âI often recommend people go to Radiance,â Carmen says. âI tell them, âGo, get a quote. Youâll probably fall in love with Dr. J and the staff while youâre there.ââ
Radiance Orthodontics offers Invisalign and braces for kids, teens and adults of all ages. To schedule a free consultation, text or call (813) 972-1100. For more information about the practice, located at 17427 Bridge Hill Court, Suite A, in the Tampa Palms Professional Center or visit MyRadianceBraces.com.
(l-r) Coopers Hawk Churrasco Steak and Azteca D’Oro Taquito
Meanwhile, Wesley Chapel is where chain eateries continue to dominate the landscape, as well as our voting (despite my best efforts to get our readers to vote for non-chains).
But, while Cooperâs Hawk Winery & Restaurant did mistakenly appear on the ballots for the first issue of the voting, it was so dominant in the voting after it came off the ballots that it would still have been #1 âFavorite Restaurant in Wesley Chapelâ without that one-issue advantage. Anyone who has been to the place on a Tuesday or Wednesday night, when it is still on a wait throughout its dinner hours, can understand how Cooperâs Hawk took home this yearâs top prize in WC in its first year of eligibility.
Azteca DâOro and Grillsmith repeated as our readersâ #2 and #3 Favorites in WC, while last yearâs first-place finisher, Noble Crust, dropped to #4 this year. New to this yearâs top-10 were Vallartaâs at #5 (up from #12), Macâs Custom Meats & Deli at #7, Florida Ave. Brewing Co. at #8 (up from #16) and Chuck Lager at #9. Dropping out of this yearâs top-10 were Zukku-San (down from #5 to #11), Bubbaâs 33 (down from #10 to #19), Bonefish, BJâs Brewhouse and Bahama Breeze (down from #8 to #17). The last four of these are all chains that werenât on the ballots. â GN
If everyone in Wesley Chapel is so sick of chain restaurants, then how and why did Cooperâs Hawk Winery & Restaurant dominate the voting in this yearâs Reader Dining Survey & Contest?
The answer to that rhetorical question is that all of you are tired of mediocre chains and although Cooperâs Hawk isnât Flemingâs, Charleyâs or Ruthâs Chris, it is definitely a step up from most of the other chains in the âChap.â It boasts a solid menu of very good steaks, good seafood, pretty decent pasta and a nice variety of starters, lunch and brunch menu items.
When you add to that the novelty of getting to taste an ever-changing array of palate-pleasing wines in Cooperâs Hawkâs wine bar (although I wish there were seats in it, or at least allowed), itâs easy to understand why locals are fighting for tables there every night. Weâll see how long the party lasts, but so far, so good.
Itâs clear that last yearâs top-vote-getting newcomer did not suffer a sophomore jinx with our readers this year, as Azteca DâOro repeated as your #2 overall Favorite Restaurant in Wesley Chapel and again won Favorite Mexican Restaurant in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel, albeit by a much smaller margin than last year.
With tasty menu items like chicken taquitos (top), plus a huge variety (above pic from DoorDash) of authentic Mexican favorites like fajitas, molcajete, burritos, tacos and quesadillas, plus beautiful indoor & outdoor bar areas with great Happy Hour specials, Azteca DâOro also features a private room that is the perfect place to host your holiday party with its lively music and festive atmosphere.Â
Grillsmith is always among our readersâ favorites every year and repeated last yearâs #3 âFavorite in Wesley Chapelâ finish again this year. This five-unit mini-chain continues to serve quality fresh fish (photo), plus assortments of flatbreads, salads, steaks, burgers, chicken and pasta options that keep our readers coming back for more. It also is a popular weekend brunch spot with everything from bananas Foster French toast to chicken & waffles Benedict.Â
Whenever you see people in a local online community ask for recommendations for a great Mexican restaurant, roughly half the people highly recommend Vallartaâs, while the other half say âitâs gross.â
Those who love it point to the restaurantâs huge menu with even bigger portions (like the burrito shown here) at the best prices of any true Mexican restaurant in Wesley Chapel. We guess those folks helped Vallartaâs jump from #12 âFavorite WC Restaurantâ with our readers last year to #5 Fave in 2024.
Although a lot of online community members complain vehemently about its 20% service charge, our readers still kept The Living Room in the same #6 âFavorite in Wesley Chapelâ spot it occupied last year.
It seems like thereâs at least one restaurant that seems to come out of nowhere to crack the top-10 with our readers every year.
This yearâs surprise is Macâs Custom Meats & Deli. Although we also enjoy Macâs quality sandwiches (photo), itâs still really more of a meat market than a restaurant, but whether it made this yearâs list because of ballot-stuffing or because enough people really love it this much likely wonât be known until next yearâs Reader Survey.
Jumping up eight places from #16 last year is Florida Avenue Brewing Co., which has changed its food menu so often itâs hard to keep up with all the new items to go with its crowd-pleasing variety of house-brewed beers, hard ciders and seltzers. Of course, you canât go wrong with Florida Ave.âs wings (photo), cheesesteak egg rolls, smash burgers and chimichurri-style Argentine flatbread. Also ask about the Express Lunch menu and about becoming a Brew Perks member.
Another mini-chain making a big jump with our readers this year is Chuck Lager Americaâs Tavern, which narrowly missed the top-25 last year to jump up to #9 this time â giving The Shops at Wiregrass five of this yearâs top-10 Favorites in Wesley Chapel!
Now with three locations and another coming soon to Ft. Myers, Chuck Lager continues to serve tasty giant pretzels, flatbreads, sliders (all in photo), as well as everything from Chuckâs citrus salmon to NY strip steak and Italian specialties like chicken parmesan and Fabioâs meatball sub.
Meanwhile, Fordâs Garage, located across from the Tampa Premium Outlets, dropped one spot from #9 last year to #10 this year, but still garnered plenty of attention from our readers for its popular sports bar-style fare, like the Giant Funnel Tower of Jumbo Piston Onion Rings, Famous Firestone Shrimp, BBQ pork ribs, chicken mac & cheese, smoked brisket burnt ends melt and especially, its Burgers of Fame (photo).
Plus, Motor Club members get 25% Off every 4th visit, a free birthday appetizer, exclusive news & events and more.
Radjes Badal (below left), (L.-r.) Rajiv Badal and Ayush Gandhi invite you to check out all of the unique kitchen and home items at the new Home Gadgets store on Paseo Dr. in The Shops at Wiregrass. (Photos by Charmaine George & Gary Nager)Â
With the holiday season just around the corner, where can you find the perfect gift for someone who loves to cook? Go check out the new Home Gadgets store, located next to Talbots in The Shops at Wiregrass, which offers a variety of cool and unique items for your home.
In 2004, Rajiv Badalâs parents, Radjes and Vidia Badal, opened a store in Ocala which originally sold âAs Seen on TVâ products. Over time, the store began to grow and the Badals added an array of household items, with a special focus on kitchen gadgets. That store became a well-loved and successful business that continues to thrive today and is still run by Rajivâs parents. Although they stay busy with their own store, Radjes and Vidia now visit Rajivâs Wiregrass location a few times a week to lend a hand and bring in new merchandise.
Rajiv has fond memories of growing up in Ocala, where he worked alongside his parents and learned the ins and outs of running a business. He wasnât just a helper; he was soaking up every bit of knowledge about everything from inventory to customer service. While pursuing his own career as an optometrist â he met his wife, Esha Gandhi, who also is an optometrist, at the Nova Southeastern University School of Optometry â Rajiv says he never lost his passion for the family business.
After getting married, Rajiv and Esha moved to the Tampa area to be closer to her family. The move was exciting, but to Rajiv, it also felt like leaving behind a piece of his familyâs legacy. Even though he loves his job as an optometrist, Rajiv wanted to bring part of his familyâs business to the new community he now calls home. So, last March, with the help of his parents, he opened the Wesley Chapel Home Gadgets store.
âI really enjoy working at the store,â says Rajiv. âSometimes, I come straight from work in my scrubs and help out.â
Itâs clear that Home Gadgets is a family affair, with Rajivâs cousin, Ayush Gandhi, serving as the main person working there. Ayush ensures that every customer gets the personal touch that has made their store in Ocala so successful.
So, what sets Home Gadgets apart from Bed, Bath & Beyond or even Amazon? According to Rajiv, itâs the combination of both common and unique items, all in one place.
âYou donât have to wait for deliveries here,â he says. âWe have a lot of things that you might not find in bigger stores.â This blend of convenience and new discoveries makes Home Gadgets stand out.
Rajiv shared a story about a customer who was excited to find a whisk heâd been searching for everywhere â a unique 12â ball whisk, which has 10 little balls at the end of long stainless rods. This design is not only eye-catching but also extremely useful, reaching into the sharp corners of a pot where rounded whisks wonât quite fit.
âA large percentage of the items we carry are made in the U.S., with some coming from Florida,â including Counter Art placemats, which are made in Ocala and Radjes says he has been stocking them at his Ocala store for 20 years.
Rajiv is particularly proud of the storeâs relationship with companies that support smaller, family-run businesses like his.
âWe work with some big companies like Nordic Ware, which makes the original bundt pans,â he explains. âThese pans are durable, thick, and beautifully made.Â
Among the unique items youâll find under one roof at Home Gadgets are a ball whisk (above right), Lodge cast iron cookware (below right), Counter Art placemats (below left) & Nordic Ware bundt pans (above), to name just a few.Â
Among Home Gadgetsâ top-selling items are beautiful wood charcuterie/cutting boards shaped like different states. Other interesting items include copper tumblers, Microplane graters and Tervis stainless steel tumblers featuring popular sports team emblems. The store also stocks Corkcicle bottles and cigar glasses, which are rocks glasses with an indentation that allows cigar smokers to hold their glass and cigar with the same hand.
âWeâre always adding new things,â Rajiv says. âI have a bunch of items in the back that we havenât even put out on display yet.â So, every time you visit Home Gadgets, you might find something new and interesting.
In todayâs world, where more people are looking for healthier cooking options, Rajiv is happy to offer items like cast iron pots and pans made in Tennessee by Lodge. Lodge can be found in other stores, but what makes Home Gadgets stand out is that the store doesnât just stock one or two sizes â it features a wide variety of Lodge cookware, including a pizza pan and even a cast iron wok.
Speaking of cast iron, Rajiv says that carbon steel pans are similar to cast iron but weigh a lot less. For people who love the benefits of cast iron but prefer something lighter, carbon steel is a fantastic alternative.
âYou have to treat it the same way as you treat cast iron after cooking, but itâs much easier to handle,â he explains. The carbon steel pans have wood handles that you can remove when you put the pan in the oven to treat. âCuring a cast iron pan or carbon steel,â he says, âhas to be done in the oven or on the stovetop but it has to be a flame not electric.â
Home Gadgets also has an online store, though Rajiv admits that itâs still something of a work in progress. Building a website that reflects the range of products the store offers takes time, and Rajiv says, âWe have way more products in the store than we show on the website.â
When you spend at least $75 online, your shipping is free. Or, if you prefer, you can order online and pick up your items at the store without paying any extra fees. This option makes it convenient for locals to shop online while avoiding shipping costs.
To encourage customers to visit the store, Home Gadgets is offering a special promotion. Simply bring the store add below with you, and youâll receive a free kitchen utensil with any purchase (one utensil per customer or family and the offer expires December 31.)Â
Home Gadgets is located at 28250 Paseo Dr., Unit 180, in The Shops at Wiregrass. It is open Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.â8 p.m.; 10 a.m.â9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; and 11 a.m.â6 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, call (813) 388-9422, visit BuyHomeGadgets.com, @buyhomegadgets on Instagram, search âHomeGadgetsStoreâ on Facebook.Â
Home Gadgets stocks Tervis tumblers with a variety of team logos.Â
At the NTBC ribbon-cutting event at Inside Out Aesthetics on Nov. 2, attendees got to check out the many treatment rooms at Inside Outâs new location north of S.R. 56. (Photos by Charmaine George)
Even as the holidays approach, the North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC) is still helping its new and existing member businesses get the word out with ribbon-cutting ceremonies â and we are proud to partner with the Chamber to help publicize these businesses and events. Here are a couple of those events that have been held since our last issue hit mailboxes four weeks ago:
Blue Park Dental
On Oct. 24, Dr. Jordan Brown of Blue Park Dental and his wife Shakirah celebrated the official Grand Opening of the new dental office on Wesley Chapel Blvd. with an NTBC ribbon-cutting event.Â
Blue Park Dental, the office of Jordan Brown, DDS, is located at 5470 Post Oak Blvd., Unit 170, in the same plaza off Wesley Chapel Blvd. as the new Moeâs Southwest Grill and Jimmy Johnâs, in Wesley Chapel.
Dr. Brown and his wife Shakirah hosted a Grand Opening and NTBC ribbon-cutting event on Oct. 24, attended by at least 50 people, including members of the Brownsâ family, friends and of course, NTBC members.
He told those who were there that he was inspired by the work ethics of both of his parents â Colin and Patricia Brown (who were both in attendance) â and said, âBlue Park Dental is a dental office that advertises comfort, trust and honesty. It emphasizes technology but also makes sure you feel comfort and safety at the same time.â
Dr. Brown also thanked his wife. âYou have no idea how much Shakirah has been in this process. She has helped so much, every step of the way, so thank you for being my rock and my support.â
For more information about Blue Park Dental, call (813) 742-6227 or visit BlueParkDental.com.Â
Inside Out Aesthetics & Wellness
Family nurse practitioner Tracy Burke (left) and licensed esthetician Amanda McEwan.Â
Then, on Nov. 2, it was Board-certified family nurse practitioner Tracy Burke who hosted an NTBC ribbon-cutting event at the new location of her Inside Out Aesthetics & Wellness â at 27613 Cashford Cir., which is located behind Samâs Club on the north side of S.R. 56 in the Summergate Professional Park. Inside Out previously was located on an outparcel of The Shops at Wiregrass.
Tracy also thanked the Chamber, as well as all of her friends, clients and her entire family, but especially her son Michael, who recently earned his Florida general contractorâs license and who was instrumental in creating every room in the new med spa to Tracyâs exact specifications.
âI want to thank all of you for coming,â Tracy said prior to cutting the Chamber ribbon. âI have dreamed about having a location like this and now, that dream has come true.â The event also introduced Inside Outâs new licensed medical esthetician Amanda McEwan, who specializes in skin care and custom facials that blend advanced treatments with a holistic approach.
Inside Out also offers neuromodulators, injectables, PDO threads, bio-stimulators, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy & semaglutide for weight loss. For info, call (813) 602-6100 or visit insideout-aesthetics.com.Â
Lightning Orthodontics
And finally, on Nov. 7, it was time for Lightning Orthodontics, the office of Isis El Ghannam, DDS, to cut a Chamber ribbon.Â
Located in the small strip plaza at 24795 S.R. 54 in Lutz that also includes Fazoliâs, Lightning Orthodontics (which is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Tampa Bay Lightning) is a beautiful, new office equipped with the latest in orthodontic technology and with room to add additional orthodontists if and when the need arises.
Dr. El Ghannam is Board-certified and says she is especially drawn to challenging cases as she finds it rewarding to make a positive impact on the lives of her patients. She also is a new mom who says the experience has deepened her empathy and enriched her interactions with families.
The office, which promises that patients will be, âheard, understood and cared for with the speed of lightning,â offers online appointments, virtual consults and remote treatment options. English, Spanish and Arabic are all spoken at the office.Â
For more info about Lightning Orthodontics, visit LightningOrthondtics.com or call (813) 733-0007 and please tell them we sent you!
