Farina Orthodontic Specialists Offers New Tech & Decades Of Experience

Dr. Mark Farina of Farina Orthodontic Specialists has 26 years of experience but is always adding new technologies at his three local offices, including one each in Tampa Palms and Wesley Chapel. (Photos: Charmaine George)

Over the course of the last 26 years, Mark Farina, D.M.D. (Doctor of Dental Medicine) has built a reputation as one of the finest and most respected orthodontists in Tampa Bay. And, while that has helped him make a great living, he now finds even more joy in the services he provides for free as part of his Smiles For The Soul foundation.

“We’re transitioning from our success to significance,” says Dr. Farina, the long-time New Tampa and Wesley Chapel orthodontist who estimates he has fixed more than 20,000 smiles.

But, what’s the point of a great smile if there’s nothing to smile about? To that end, Farina takes great pleasure in helping those with unfortunate circumstances, like wiping clean the bill of the mother whose son has just died, or bringing a former Navy Seal to tears with a free smile as a thank you for his service, or for many others who have been nominated to receive assistance from Smiles For The Soul.

“It’s just wonderful to give back,” Dr. Farina says. “These are the stories that make me the happiest. Seeing the reactions and seeing the different ways we help — that’s powerful stuff.”

Farina’s success has opened many doors, including those at his modern, cubist-style office on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. between the Shops at Wiregrass and AdventHealth Wesley Chapel.

Virtual appointments are popular at Farina Orthodontics.

The three-floor, 16,000-sq.-ft. building is a testament to his success and his vision for the future. Farina Orthodontic Specialists operates out of the building’s first floor, and half of the second floor has offices handling oral maxillofacial surgery, periodontics and implant dentistry (with Dr. Matthew Waite, Dr. Mary Elizabeth Joyce and Dr. James Wilson) as well as endodontics (root canals) with Dr. Christian Kamaris and Dr. Frank Delgado.

The other half of the second floor has recently been completed, housing the office’s communications and support center. It will serve as a training center for other doctors nationwide and locally and will host speakers and even conferences. There are two 85–foot screens for presentations, and easily movable furniture that allows the space to be reconfigured for various needs.

Dr. Farina says the office is right out of what you might see at a start-up in Silicon Valley, or even at Google.

The entire building is set up as a multi-interdisciplinary facility, where all of the specialties can come together to give a treatment plan and the best possible outcomes for patients.

Orthodontics, however, are still the engine that drives Farina Orthodontic Specialists.

Top-notch customer service, clear and concise consultations and a friendly waiting room offering a beverage bar and iPads are a precursor to the advanced services offered by Dr. Farina and his professional staff.

A 3D impressionless scanner at Farina Orthodontic Specialists can create a digital 3D model of your teeth in minutes. An i-CAT 3D Machine takes a 3D image of not just the patient’s teeth, but also the bones and airways in his or her head. Best of all, the process takes all of five seconds.

An iTero 3D impressionless scanner can create a digital 3D model of your teeth in three minutes — without the need for that traditional, dreadful goop.

The 3-D printers also can produce tooth aligners and retainers on site.

“We have always been at the forefront of new technology,” Farina says.

In addition to traditional braces, Farina Orthodontic Specialists uses the InvisalignÂź brand of clear aligners. Farina says that today, most of his patients (60-70 percent) are fitted with InvisalignÂź, and advances in that area have led to a rapid growth in the number of adults, particularly men, who now visit his practice. 

In fact, Dr. Farina says he is the top InvisalignÂź provider in the area, and one of just a few orthodontists nationwide who has reached Elite Status with InvisalignÂź.

Dr. Farina also offers his own trademarked system, called ClearTech, which is designed for “touch ups” and more minor tooth movements and relapses.

Those are just a few of the hi-tech options available, with more to come. Farina says his practice will soon start using DentalMonitoring, where a patient is given a ScanBox Pro to use at home and their teeth can be monitored remotely.

“It will map the movements of your teeth,” Dr. Farina says. “It’s pretty awesome stuff.” 

It’s a big part of the growth of virtual care, which Farina Orthodontic Specialists emphasizes. Not only does it offer a virtual smile assessment and consultation from the practice’s website (FarinaSmiles.com), it also uses Zoom calls to save some patients a trip to the office. 

The new technologies have allowed Dr. Farina to double the number of patients he now sees, he says.

Farina Orthodontic Specialists also treats sleep apnea and snoring, both of which can be the result of an obstructed airway. The imaging also can detect airway development problems in children. 

Dr. Farina earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Biology from Boston College in Boston, MA. He earned his D.M.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in Philadelphia and did his post-graduate orthodontic training at New York University in New York City, NY.

He also has received advanced training in the integrated diagnosis and treatment of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain, and has served on research teams at both New York University and Penn to help find new and better ways to solve orthodontic problems.

His training has led to his successful career, and while he has always been charitable, that success has allowed him to focus more on making a difference with Smiles For The Soul.

And, that new charitable endeavor is what brings a smile to his face.

“It’s all very gratifying,” Dr. Farina says. “As this point for me, it’s not really work anymore, it’s just fun.”

For appointments and more information about the Tampa Palms (15303 Amberly Dr.), Wesley Chapel (2370 BBD Blvd., Suite A) or any of the three locations of Farina Orthodontic Specialists, call (813) 972-2929 or visit FarinaSmiles.com.

For First-Time Business Owners, KRATE Is Special

Heidi Esquivel

Yummy Tablas

As a little girl in Costa Rica, Heidi Esquivel would make salads for her parents because it was all that was in the house.

She would pour her heart and soul into each bowl of lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers, often cutting up red peppers to make them look fancy and shaping other simple vegetables to look like beautiful flowers.

“I wanted to make my mom and dad proud,” Heidi says. “It was my way of saying ‘I love you,’ with food.”

It took years for Heidi’s artistic skills to manifest themselves as a caterer specializing in elaborate and gorgeous charcuterie and cheese boards, but today, as the owner of Yummy Tablas at the KRATE at the Grove Container Park in Wesley Chapel, she has found her calling.

Although she started her business online during the pandemic, and grew a large following thanks to Instagram — “my best friend” she calls the social media app — she now has fulfilled a dream by owning a store of her own.

“To see the people come through the door, to see the faces, the reaction, it’s just wonderful,” Heidi says, pointing to a couple sitting outside, enjoying a glass of what she calls “the best wine at the KRATEs” on the outdoor patio. “It’s her birthday, so he brought her here for a little glass of wine. She is so happy. Those moments make me so happy.”

Developer Mark Gold says he didn’t start the KRATE just to fulfill his own personal dreams — he did it in part to help make the dreams of others more accessible.

When he announced his project in October 2019, offering converted shipping containers as business opportunities with monthly rents starting at around $1,500, he instantly received a flurry of emails and phone calls from small business owners. Or, in the case of Heidi, prospective first-time folks who couldn’t otherwise afford to rent a space for a business of their own.

In fact, roughly 30 percent of the nearly 50 businesses that make up KRATE at the Grove are run by first-timers. 

“I saw the price and the whole thing looked so cute, and I thought, ‘Oh my God, I can afford that!,’” Heidi says. “I came here right away and fell in love with the whole project. And now, I’m here.”

Before that, Heidi had struggled for years waiting for her opportunity, cleaning homes and working in construction. When she went out with husband Ronnie, a physician she married five years ago, and people asked what she did, she was mortified.

“It was so sad, it was embarrassing,” Heidi says. “I just didn’t want to continue saying that. I wanted to be somebody
I was almost 40 and I needed to find my passion.”

While entertaining friends and family, Heidi always presented her food with flair. Her guests always raved about her displays, and Ronnie also encouraged her to start her business online. 

Her concept of “grazing boards,” where friends and family could gather around while nibbling on meats, crackers, cheeses, fresh fruit and honey and jam, struck a chord with people during the pandemic, when people were stuck at home.

“My friends were right,” she says. “It just took off.”

But, when she read the first story about the KRATEs in the Neighborhood News, she knew a “little shop” is what she really wanted.

“Mark Gold was excited about it, and I’m so excited about it, too,” Heidi says. “To have people come and have some cheese and a glass of wine, share memories, laugh, tell stories, spend time with family
.that’s what I’m really excited about.”

Tracy DiMillo

Urban Sweets

Heidi’s path is similar to Tracy DiMillo’s, who had built a large local following — in two different states — with her decadent desserts. She, too, was entertaining a friend when it was suggested in October 2019 that she open her own place.

“She asked me if I had read about this guy who just bought The Grove and was going to do containers,” Tracy says. “She sent me the link to the story, I read it on a Sunday, emailed them on Monday and was in their offices talking to them on Friday.”

On Dec. 6, 2019, Tracy and her husband John signed a lease for Urban Sweets, a KRATE container specializing in cupcakes and layered desserts.

It was a long journey for Tracy, a stay-at-home mom of three (now grown) children looking for an outlet.

It started in 1999 with a cake decorating class at Jo-Ann’s Fabrics in Brandon, but soon, Tracy was teaching the classes. A Tampa Palms resident at the time, she sold her desserts locally and online as Creative Cakes. When John, a salesman for a major alcohol distributor, was transferred to Fairfield, CT, she jumped on the just-taking-off cake pops craze with The Pop Shop, making and selling the treats out of a commercial kitchen.

The Dimillos moved back to Florida in 2015, with Tracy unsure what to do next. She baked for neighbors and parties and thought often of opening her own shop. She even had business cards made for Urban Sweets in 2018, “just to put it out into the universe and keep my dream moving forward.”

The Dimillos were fans of Sparkman Wharf, a smaller container park on Channelside Dr. in downtown Tampa that opened in late 2018. While strolling around the container park that year, she fell in love: “I told John I see myself in a container at Sparkman.”

A year later, however, Gold rolled into town. Like Heidi, Tracy also read the article in the Neighborhood News and was gobsmacked.

“If you have a dream, let’s make it happen,” Gold said at the time. “This is your mom-and-pop opportunity, your dream
.I want to help people come to us. Let me help you.”

Those words hit Tracy like one of her cookie butter cake parfaits hitting your taste buds.

“I read it and I could swear he was talking to me,” Tracy said. “He said things like he was appealing to new business owners, appealing to smaller business owners
.after wanting to open a store for 15 years, I just thought, this is it. I felt like it was a lightning bolt.”

In fact, that’s the exact phrase — “lightning bolt” — she used in her email to Gold to describe her interest. She didn’t even have her sugary concoctions thought out yet. But, she had a name, that box of business cards and she was ready. 

“I just knew, after 23 years, I felt like I knew what people liked.”

Urban Sweets opened in late May to positive reviews. With a few thousand people to please for the KRATES’ opening day on June 4 (see page 20), Tracy was eager for her official debut as a business owner. 

“It’s a dream come true,” Tracy says. “I know that sounds super cheesy, but that’s how I feel.”

Monica Russo

Maeberry Co.

Monica Russo has shared a similar dream for just as long, imagining herself as a clothing buyer since she was a little girl.

For years, she envisioned being a children’s clothing buyer for a big department store like Nordstrom or Dillard’s (and she worked at both for a time).

Pregnant and bed-ridden during Covid-19, Russo decided to become a buyer
for herself. In 2021, she started a website, MaeBerry Co., that sold children’s clothing and accessories.

Later that year, a friend told her about the KRATE at The Grove, and thought she should go all the way and open her own shop. So, she contacted the KRATE’s management, was put on a waiting list, and after twice declining because she wasn’t sure she was ready, she took the keys to her KRATE in January.

“I knew when they asked a third time, I had to do it,” Monica says. “I just went with what my heart was telling me.”

The decision has been the right one. With help from dad George Leach, who assisted getting the business going and chips in with babysitting, husband George Rocek and daughter Alyssa, who is 17 and works in the shop, business has been bustling.

Monica says business at MaeBerry Co. has been so good, in fact, she wishes she had chosen a larger container. Her eco-friendly infant and children’s clothing, many made with soft, breathable and chemical-free bamboo, and by high-end companies like Posh Peanut and Itzy Ritzy, have been popular among shoppers.

“This is what I’ve always wanted to do,” Monica says. “So far it’s been everything I have dreamed of.”

Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. Is Nearing The Finish Line

As major road projects designed to ease congestion come to fruition this year — the Diverging Diamond Interchange at S.R. 56/I-75 and the widening of S.R. 54 — another smaller project expected to have a big impact should be completed by the end of the year.

Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. (drone photo, right, by Charmaine George), which will run from just north of S.R. 56 all the way north to S.R. 54, will be fully open by December, if not earlier — if weather and the ability to secure construction supplies is not disruptive — according to Wiregrass Ranch developer JD Porter.

While not as massive as the aforementioned projects, Porter says Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. will play a big role in easing traffic in the area and providing the kind of connectivity the county is lacking. It also will serve as a major thoroughfare for future residents of the Wiregrass area.

“I think the changes, at least on a local perspective, will be as great as they were when S.R. 56 was built through Wiregrass Ranch,” Porter says. “This provides a parallel alternative to Bruce B. Downs, as well as helping with necessary spacing for the S.R. 54/I-75 interchange.”

Mansfield Blvd., which runs from County Line Rd. to S.R. 56, transitions into Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. at the first of three roundabouts.

Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. is located just east of Lajuana Blvd., which provides access to Audi Wesley Chapel, the Fairfield Inn & Suites and the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County.

 It runs north past Chancey Blvd, and currently ends at the entrance to Esplanade at Wiregrass Ranch, a community for ages 55+.

There is roughly a mile of construction remaining. The road will run past the Walmart Super Center and end at S.R. 54.

Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. will be a major artery for the Wiregrass Ranch community. Porter says it’s not just another local road or one merely built for the development of homes, but the kind of game- changing road project that will bring more value to area schools, including Pasco Hernando State College on Mansfield, and provide a significant upgrade for local residents trying to get to the area’s many shopping and dining options.

Once the road is completed at the end of the year, long-awaited development of the Wiregrass Ranch area around the road will begin, including a proposed town center area that will act as the area’s downtown.

“Almost immediately once that road opens you’ll see users along that road,” Porter says, adding that some are already under contract and just waiting to get in. “It is kind of the kick off. There will be office people and retail people. You’re going to see that stuff start to happen.”

MOMs Club To Host A ‘Climb’ Event

On Saturday, June 25, at 9 a.m., the MOMs Club of Wesley Chapel (photo) will host the first-ever Team Tampa Bay “Climb out of the Darkness” event at Wesley Chapel District Park (7721 Boyette Rd.).

Climb out of the Darkness is the largest annual fund raiser supporting Postpartum Support International (PSI), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to helping women and families have access to information, social support and professional care to deal with mental health issues related to childbearing. PSI provides help for families that suffer from PMAD (perinatal mood and anxiety disorders), including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and other postpartum issues.

The local Climb will include a community walk (bring your strollers, talk with other families) followed by family fun, including a bounce house, large yard games for the kids, raffle prizes (gift cards, zoo passes, swim lessons and more) and snack items. And, a hockey puck signed by Brayden Point of the Tampa Bay Lightning will be auctioned off.

MOMs Club president Joy Clark explains why the club chose to host a Climb as its annual philanthropy this year.

“We took on this project when I was only two weeks out after having my second son. I myself suffered severe anxiety and depression during both of my pregnancies. I know this is real and I found my support in MOMS Club. We are honored to support PSI . (Postpartum) mental health problems are real, and I want people to know they are not alone.” 

To register, email climbtampabay@gmail.com.

Edward Jones Goes Big With New Office On Bruce B. Downs 

The team at the new Edward Jones office on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in the Shoppes of Wesley Chapel includes (l.-r.) William Morales, Jimmy Tovar, office administrator Karn Weigel, Natalie Matos, office admin Cathy Giacinto, Paul Eliot & Scott Peterson. (Photos by Charmaine George)

The financial world is, for many, more precarious than ever these days.

Jobs and benefits are in flux, the stock market is all over the place, inflation is leaving a mark and the economy is either booming or teetering on destruction, depending upon who you ask.

Trying to decide how to shield your savings and investments from this potential storm isn’t a decision to be taken lightly. That’s why, when financial advisor William Morales is asked for one piece of advice, it’s this: come see us at Edward Jones.

“It doesn’t cost you anything, other than time,” says Morales, referring to Edward Jones’ free consultation. “That’s really it. That hour you sit down and talk with an Edward Jones advisor, you’ll get answers to questions you have and uncover questions that you never thought of yourself.”

At Edward Jones, a handful of financial advisors — Morales, Paul Elliott, Natalie Matos, Scott Peterson and Jimmy Tovar — are here to guide you from their new office on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., which opened earlier this year in the Shoppes of Wesley Chapel across BBD from AdventHealth Wesley Chapel. The new office’s Grand Opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony were held on May 6.

Edward Jones offers a wide range of financial services, advising clients on retirement and college savings, business plans, wealth strategies and investments, life, long-term care and disability insurance, annuities and credit.

“We do everything,” Morales said. “The core of what we do is planning. The investments, that hasn’t changed, but it’s all about how we’re connecting with clients and understanding what their goals are
we know there’s a lot of people out there who should be talking to us that aren’t, so making sure we have a presence in our community is a big part of why things are moving differently.”

Morales has had his office in Wesley Chapel for years and has lived here since 1998, but now, sharing a larger workspace with other advisors with different levels of experience, different backgrounds and from different places, is a boon to clients.

“At the end of the day, it’s what can we bring to the client experience?,” says Elliott, who has been with Edward Jones since 2012. “In a single office, maybe I have an idea I want to run by someone. I tell the client I’ll make a phone call or check with an email, to ask what do you think? That’s very different from calling one of the other advisors in the office and getting maybe a different point of view. I think that’s good for the client.”

While there are many services offered, the most common questions are about retirement, by those already retired or those just getting there.

At Edward Jones, the approach is to build a relationship with clients before money and investments are even discussed.

That’s because instead of promising what they can do for you, at Edward Jones, the advisors are more interested in what you see when you look into the future.

“What are you trying to accomplish?,” Matos says is often the first question. Once a client has laid out their own plan, the investments to get them there act as the vehicle.”

Peterson, a University of Pittsburgh graduate who has worked in financial services for more than a dozen years, says he will ask clients to close their eyes and describe how retirement might look.

“Where are you, who is with you, what are you doing and what are your plans for that day?, “ he says. “Tell me about it,” and, whether you are at the beach or in the mountains or babysitting your grandkids in another state, “there is no wrong answer. You tell me what you want it to look like, and then we’ll go from there.”

That is a message shared by every Edward Jones advisor. 

“When people ask what I do, my break-the-ice answer is I make dreams come true,” says Morales, smiling. “I’m kind of joking but I’m not, because it is really what I do. We spend a lot of time trying to uncover what someone’s goals are, and what their vision of the future is, and then we try to build a personal plan towards that goal. Everything we do revolves around the client’s needs and goals.”

And, everyone is different. Some clients have grand plans for retirement, others just want to make sure they have enough to live well, and there are thousands of points in between.

Every answer is different as well, depending upon the current situation of the client. The team at Edward Jones says they don’t shy away from the tough conversations, when a client’s vision of retirement is clouded by some current realities. 

“It’s powerful to tell a client, ‘I know you want to retire at this age but, according to the models, it’s not going to work
BUT, if we tweak this and change this up this look what happens,” says Tovar, a Wesley Chapel resident since 2003. “This is where we come in.”

Your Financial ‘Toolbox’

Edward Jones has a variety of answers for each situation.

“We’re not a one-trick pony,” Elliott says. “I like to think of myself as a contractor and I have a toolbox and no bias for any of my tools. I sit down with my clients like an architect and ask what are we going to build? If I only get to use my hammer that day, then that’s fine.”

And, because Edward Jones has no proprietary products or services, Peterson says there is no incentive to use a tool that may not be the best one. “The end result is the only thing that matters to us.”

That’s important to retirees and pre-retirees, who have a number of heady concerns when it comes to their respective futures. Things like health care costs (the No. 1 concern, according to most surveys), taxes, savings and investments are important issues. So, the toolbox has to be big.

At Edward Jones, financial advisors have Series 7 and Series 66 securities registrations, and many of them have acquired further credentials, including the CFP (Certified Financial Planner), AAMS (Accredited Asset Management Specialist), CRPC (Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor), ChFC (Chartered Financial Consultant) and state insurance licenses, according to its website.

That level of service, says Matos, is why so many families keep coming back. She says generations of families have stuck with her over the years, and she hopes to build a similar long-lasting clientele in Wesley Chapel at Edward Jones.

“We care about people, we care about the community and that’s why we’re here,” says Matos, a University of South Florida graduate who has worked in the financial industry for 28 years.

“That’s the bottom line.”

Edward Jones is located at 2653 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Suite 120, in the Shoppes of Wesley Chapel. The new office’s hours are Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. , and 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. on Friday. For more information, call (813) 991-7034 or visit EdwardJones.com.