The North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC) stayed busy in November, with its annual Excellence in Business awards gala at Treble Makers on Nov. 17 (which we featured in our Nov 28 Wesley Chapel issue), as well as three ribbon-cutting events that didn’t make it into our print editions.
On Nov. 2, the Wesley Chapel Contract Postal Unit (CPU) on S.R. 54, which has been open for a few months now, celebrated with an NTBC ribbon cutting. Owner Jevon Willians provided free food and beverages for about 40 guests and introduced attendees to the CPU’s many services, all of which are available at regular U.S. Post Office prices. For more information, call (813) 994-7522.
On Nov. 8, the StoreRightSelf Storage facility, located on Crystal Grove Blvd. (near the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 41 and Sunset Lane) in Lutz, introduced attendees to its 749 storage units, most of which are climate-controlled. Store Right also is opening a similar-sized storage facility the second week in December next to the new El Dorado furniture store near the intersection of S.R. 54, Wesley Chapel Blvd. and S.R. 56 in Land O’Lakes. For more info, call (813) 567-8100 or visit StoreRight.com.
And, on Nov. 14, owner Gail Sickler’s Sustain M.E. on S.R. 56 (in the same plaza as Capital Tacos & Touch Nail Spa) officially finalized its re-branding of the store that previously was a location of LĂźfka Refillables Zero Waste Store with its own NTBC ribbon-cutting event. The revamped refillables and health & beauty products store features a similar variety of all-natural products as did LĂźfka, but with new products that are all locally sourced. For more info, call (8130 812-8219 or visit SustainMotherEarth.com.
What began in 2021 as the second location of Lufka Refillables Zero Waste Store has officially been transitioned to Sustain M.E., which offers a similar variety of âgreenâ & refillable products.
Co-owners Gail Strickland & her daughter Danielle Howard, who have stocked the store with an all-new, locally sourced variety of eco-friendly products, held their North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbon cutting on Nov 14.
Look for the story in the Nov 28 edition of Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News!
The area along Wesley Chapel Blvd. in front of the Lexington Oaks development is suddenly alive with new construction.Â
We previously reported about the nearly completed Sentosa Lexington apartments, located south of Lexington (Lex) Oaks Blvd., as well as about a new Moeâs SW Grill-anchored retail/office plaza north of Lexington Oaks Blvd. on Wesley Chapel (WC) Blvd.
Now, however, although construction has not yet begun, The Hub at Lexington is getting ready to begin vertical construction in front of Sonesta by Nov. 1.Â
And, although The Hub leasing agent Courtney Bissett-Hayes didnât confirm it for us, Shanks Indoor Golf & Bar (IGB) reported on its Facebook page that it is âComing Soon to Wesley Chapel â Nov./Dec. 2024.â
The Facebook announcement from Sept. 29 says, âShanks IGB is an indoor facility that offers a realistic golfing experience through the use of advanced technology. Shanks IGB features multiple simulators equipped with high-definition screens, sensors, and computer software that accurately recreate the look and feel of many renowned golf courses. Players can use their own clubs and hit real golf balls into the screen, which tracks the ballâs trajectory and provides instant feedback on distance, accuracy, and shot data. Shanks IGB will provide a comfortable environment with amenities like lounge areas, refreshments, apparel and equipment, DIY Maintenance Stations, and professional instruction, allowing golf enthusiasts to play, practice, and improve their game regardless of weather conditions or time of day.â
Our editorial researcher Joel Provenzano was able to locate a Pasco County development record stating that, âThe project is proposing the development of a 40,000-sq.-ft. retail/restaurant center at the SW corner of WC Blvd. and Lex Oaks Blvd. This project is a part of the Lexington Oaks Plaza MPUD.â The property owner is listed as Specialty Restaurants Corp. in Costa Mesa, CA, and the applicant on the development request is Landis Evans + Partners in Lutz. For more information, visit ShanksIndoorGolfBar.com.Â
OâReilly Auto Parts Isnât ShanksÂ
A while before I heard about Shanks, Jannah and I had been seeing a new building under construction at the southern end of the Sentosa apartments and wondered what it was, so I had Joel check it out and he found that the building (right photo) â which seemed to have no windows so we assumed it wasnât a restaurant â and Joel found that it was an OâReilly Auto Parts store, not Shanks (or another restaurant), as I had originally hoped.Â
We had no further information about the building at our press time, as Joel couldnât find any actual plans for the nearly-completed store, other than an application by One Oak Development, LLC, of Clearwater. The property owner also is Specialty Restaurants Corp.
Recent NTBC Ribbon-Cutting EventsÂ
In addition to the Spinner Law Firm and Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel events in conjunction with the North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC), we attended a couple of other recent ribbon cuttings events where the NTBC brought its scissors.Â
The first, on Oct. 17 was for Shells Florida Realty (left photo) and Broker/owner Michele Curtin, who has her office at SOAR Co-Working in Tampa Palms. Although she has worked for other real estate companies before, Michele said she named her own company âShellsâ because people never spell her first name correctly, so she just calls herself âShell.â The long-time New Tampa resident says she specializes in residential properties in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel, but can help home buyers and sellers anywhere in Florida.Â
Then, on Oct. 19, business consultant Jonathan McKeen-Chaff held a ribbon cutting for his Prepense Business Solutions at the Pasco Economic Development Council (EDC)âs SmartStart location at The Grove.
Jonathan used his joint NTBC and Dade City Chamber ribbon-cutting event (above) to present Prepenseâs âCash Flow River: Our Philosophy of Marketing.â For more info about Prepense Marketing, call Jonathan at (352) 428-6067 or visit PrepenseSolutions.com.Â
Assn. of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) Executive Committee chair Carlos Phillips (far left) and ACCE president & CEO Sheree Anne Kelly (far right) pose with (l.-r.) membership director Jen Tussing, president & CEO Hope Kennedy & foundation chair Michael Berthelette of the North Tampa Bay Chamber, at the ACCE awards event last month, where the NTBC was again a finalist for Chamber of the Year. (Photo provided by Hope Kennedy).
Both this year and last, the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce (NTBC) has been named one of three finalists for Chamber of the Year in its category by the nationwide Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE).
Both years, the NTBC has come up short of winning the award, but thatâs not stopping this busy chamber or its leadership team. âWin or lose, itâs such an honor to be a finalist, and no other chamber in any of the four categories was named a finalist the last two years,â says NTBC President and chief executive officer Hope Kennedy. âIt was hard for us to come home without the top prize again, but weâre still so proud of the work weâve done and the successes weâve had.â
Kennedy says the application process, which the NTBC has gone through âfor each of the last ten years or so, is extensive and difficult,â as the ACCE has more than 1,800 member chambers of commerce and business organizations of all sizes and locations across the country.
Kennedy also notes that the NTBC also was again the finalist with the smallest paid staff (just two â Kennedy and membership director Jen Tussing). By comparison, the Pearland (TX) Chamber, which won this yearâs award in the NTBCâs Category 1 (for chambers with less than $500,000 in annual revenues), has a staff of six.
Neither current NTBC Board chair Justin Keeney, the VP and senior portfolio manager of Fifth Third Bank, or immediate past chair Javan Grant of Slater Grant, was able to travel to Salt Lake City for this yearâs ACCE 2023 Awards Ceremony on Aug. 1, so foundation chair and 2021 Board chair Michael Berthelette of Platinum Salon made the trip with Kennedy and Tussing.
âEven some of the larger Chambers in our area â including the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce â have applied to be Chamber of the Year the last two years without even being named a finalist,â Kennedy says. âWe take a lot of pride in what we do and what we have accomplished.â
How You Can Get Involved!
Although being a finalist for Chamber of the Year is a big honor and is based on a variety of factors â including membership retention, advocacy, community involvement and more â the bottom line is that the NTBC also exists to help small businesses.
The Chamber features a variety of ongoing activities, including the following:
⢠Breakfast-1st Tues. of each month
⢠Luncheon-2nd Tues. of each month
⢠Leading Ladies Network (formerly
WOW)-1st Fri. of each Month
⢠Final Friday-Last Fri. of each month
⢠Coffee Social-3rd Wed. of each Month
⢠Member Orientation-4th Wed. of each mo.
The NTBC also offers member businesses the opportunity to host ribbon cuttings at their locations, as well as a variety of annual events, including the upcoming Wesley Chapel Fall Festival the weekend of Oct. 28-29 (co-sponsored by Floridaâs Sports Coast and Penguin Productions).
Also upcoming is the NTBCâs Celebrating Excellence in Business awards gala (on Thursday, November 16) and nominations for the Excellence in Innovation, Collaboration, Integrity, Inclusivity and the Community Hero award are now open. The Chamber also will host its third annual 5K Honor Run in February.
For more information about joining the North Tampa Bay Chamber, visit NorthTampaBayChamber.org or call (813) 994-8534.
There have been no fewer than a half-dozen different North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbon-cutting events in Wesley Chapel since the middle of April.
The events in questions include:
⢠Dietrich & Kelso Orthodontics (in the former location of Abdoney Orthodontics) on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., across from AdventHealth Wesley Chapel on Apr. 13;
⢠Totally Blu Pools off S.R. 54 near Morris Bridge Rd. on Apr. 20;
⢠Annâs Spa & Nails Lounge off S.R. 56 (next to Chicken Salad Chick), also on Apr. 20;
⢠The five-year Anniversary Celebration for The Beach House at Wiregrass assisted living & memory care on S.R. 56 on Apr. 21;
⢠The groundbreaking of Blue Heron Senior Livingâs skilled nursing facility expansion on Apr. 26;
⢠The one-year anniversary celebration for the Budget Blinds âinspiration centerâ at the KRATE container park on May 5;
⢠The ribbon cutting event for Nuevo Salon & Spa on BBD, also on May 5.
Dietrich & Kelso â With its main office in Lakeland and six total doctors in what is now a five-office practice (and four orthodontists working out of its Wesley Chapel office; photo below left), the new Dietrich Kelso Orthodontics is one of the largest orthodontic practices in our area. Led by Dr. Andrew Dietrich (in light blue short in the photo below) and Dr. Andrew Kelso (with scissors), the office promises outstanding doctors and a friendly staff in a state-of-the-art office that offers a variety of treatments â including Invisalign, clear braces, metal braces and laser gum contouring.
For more information about Dietrich & Kelso Orthodontics (2653 BBD Blvd.), call (813) 921-9211 or visit DKOSmiles.com.
Totally Blu Full Service Pools â Owners Sunil Mohammed and Rashmi Maharaj have owned their highly respected mobile pool service and repair company for years, but their storefront in the Publix plaza off S.R. 54 at Eiland Blvd./Morris Bridge Rd. is their first-ever brick-and-mortar location.
The store has everything you need to enjoy your pool â from chemicals and equipment to toys â and they also are happy to send their mobile unit to your home to service, repair or even remodel your pool, and even offer commercial pool services, too. The same location also doubles as the storefront for the coupleâs Totally Green Lawn Services.
 For more info about Totally Blu Pools (32781 Eiland Blvd.), call (813) 788-7665, visit TotallyBluH2o.com.
Annâs Spa & Nails Lounge â Although some people in our area complain about the number of nail spas there are here, people who attended the salonâs ribbon-cutting event (middle photo, right) who already were customers of the new Annâs Spa & Nails Lounge definitely seem to appreciate the luxury, value and outstanding manicure and pedicure services.
Owner Annie Lam (in light blue in photo) invited attendees to enjoy not only great deals on her spaâs outstanding services, but also some homemade Vietnamese egg rolls, fried rice and more.
Annâs Spa & Nails Lounge is located at 25032 Wesley Chapel Blvd, Lutz. For more info, call (813) 949-6663 or visit annspanailswesleychapel.com.
Beach House at Wiregrass Ranch â This NTBC ribbon-cutting ceremony was just part of an outstanding five-year anniversary celebration for the assisted living and memory care residence.
The first such facility located in Wesley Chapel, executive director Bonnie Berkman (with scissors below right) invited the Beach Houseâs residents and guests to enjoy delicious free food and beverages and DJ music and got to check out the immaculate assisted living residence together.
To arrange a tour of your own or for more info about the Beach House at Wiregrass Ranch (30070 S.R. 56), call (813) 508-6677 or visit BeachHouseWiregrass.com.
Nuevo Salon & Spa â Owner and medical practitioner Agnes Ubani, MD, introduced NTBC members to her new spa (in the same plaza as Dietrich & Kelso and The Hungry Greek; photo top of page ), which actually opened in March. The spa features a variety of state-of-the-art clinical equipment and cosmetic procedures â everything from facials and Botox to medical weight loss, body contouring and more â with licensed massage to be added in the future.
For more information or to book a consultation, call (813) 559-9790 or visit NuevoHealthMD.com.
