A Busy Few Weeks For Grand Opening Events In Wesley Chapel!

By CHARMAINE GEORGE & GARY NAGER

There have been no fewer than half-dozen different ribbon-cutting and grand-opening events in Wesley Chapel since the middle of March and almost all of them included the super-sharp scissors provided by the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce (NTBC). 

The events in questions include: 

• PetSmart Veterinary Services at the PetSmart store at The Grove on Mar. 18 (the only one not provided by NTBC); 

• Flip Slop Shops at The Shoppes at New Tampa plaza on Apr. 1; 

• 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; 

• Ann’s 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.

Veterinary partners Dr. Alejandra Navarro and Dr. Leslie Block are the private owners of PetSmart at The Grove’s Veterinary Services. It is a full-service pet hospital offering anything from vaccines to dental work and even surgeries. It also offers walk-ins and drop-offs for those who have busy schedules, as well as a cat room where there are pheromone diffuser plug-ins and scratching posts to help make visits for your cats as easy and cat-friendly as possible. 

You can meet Dr. Navarro, Dr. Block and their friendly staff at For more information about PetSmart at The Grove’s vet services (at 6001 Wesley Grove Blvd.), call (813) 761-1241 or visit PetSmart.com. Or, search PetSmart Vet Services Wesley Chapel. 

Both the Flip Flop Shops in the Shoppes at New Tampa plaza (above) and the PetSmart Veterinary Services location in The Grove (top of page) held recent Grand Opening celebrations in Wesley Chapel. 
(Photos by Charmaine George)

The Wesley Chapel location of the Flip Flop Shops, which has been open since Feb. 4, is owned by Traci and Kevin Taylor, who decided to relocate to Florida from Colorado after visiting their son for his Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) graduation from the U.S. Navy EOD School in Destin in 2018. 

 After they made the move to Florida and Kevin retired, the Taylors searched for a franchise that would allow them to add their own personalities to their location.

The Flip Flop Shop offers a wide variety of flip flops and casual wear, as well as accessories that support conservation and other causes. The Taylors were happy to walk guests around and show them some of their most popular brands, including Oofoos, Crocs, and Hey Dude. They even have a variety of Jibbitz charms for those who love to customize their Crocs. 

For more info about Flip Flop Shops Wesley Chapel  (1752 BBD Blvd.), call (813) 994-8204 or visit FlipFlopShops.com.

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, which hosted an NTBC ribbon-cutting), 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 at left) 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 — including Invisalign, clear braces, metal braces and laser gum contouring.

For more info about Dietrich Kelso Orthodontics (2653 BBD Blvd.), call (813) 921-9211 or visit DKOSmiles.com.

Totally Blu Full Service Pools 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 — from chemicals and equipment to toys — 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 couple’s Totally Green Lawn Services.

 For more info about Totally Blu Pools (32781 Eiland Blvd.), call (813) 788-7665 or visit TotallyBluH2o.com.

Although people in our area often complain about the number of nail spas there are here, people who attended the salon’s ribbon-cutting event (left photo) who already were customers of the new Ann’s Spa & Nails Lounge definitely seem to appreciate the luxury, value and outstanding manicure and pedicure services.

Owner Annie Lam (in light blue) invited attendees to enjoy not only great deals on her spa’s outstanding services, but also some homemade Vietnamese egg rolls, fried rice and more.

Ann’s Spa & Nails Lounge is located at 25032 Wesley Chapel Blvd, Lutz. For more info, call (813) 949-6663 or visit annspanailswesleychapel.com.

And finally, although the event also included an NTBC ribbon-cutting ceremony, it was just part of an outstanding five-year anniversary celebration for the Beach House at Wiregrass Ranch Assisted Living & Memory Care residence.

The first such facility located in Wesley Chapel, executive director Bonnie Berkman (with scissors) invited the Beach House’s 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.

Business Briefs — Celebrating Flip Flop Shops & PetSmart Vet Services 

The Flip Flop Shop in the Shoppes at New Tampa plaza Grand Opening celebration in Wesley Chapel. (All photos by Charmaine George)

The Flip Flop Shop, which has been open since February 4 in the Shoppes at New Tampa plaza (across from the Shops at Wiregrass) on Bruce B. Downs Blvd., south of S.R. 56, held a Grand Opening and North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC) ribbon-cutting event on April 1.

Owners Traci and Kevin Taylor decided to relocate to Florida from Colorado after visiting their son for his Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) graduation from the U.S. Navy EOD School in Destin in 2018. 

The artwork displayed on the walls of their Flip Flop Shop tells the story of what compelled them to make the move to Florida, after a memorable day on the beach with their son. It was during that picturesque moment sitting on the beach looking out at the water with drinks in their hands when they looked at each other and said, “Well, this doesn’t suck.” 

After they made the move to Florida and Kevin retired, they searched for a franchise that would allow them to add their own personalities to their location.

That’s when they found Flip Flop Shops. And, even though they ended up moving to Riverview themselves, Traci, a long-time fan of Walt DisneyWorld in Orlando, said it was the family-driven culture in our area that solidified their choice to open their own Flip Flop Shop in Wesley Chapel. 

Kevin also mentioned that their choice made sense since most people in the Sunshine State wear some form of flip flops or casual wear and, “the Flip Flop Shops (company) is California-based (with more than 50 locations across North America, including now five in the Tampa Bay area), but it has a very Florida feel.”

During the North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC) ribbon-cutting ceremony, guests were urged to grab food and spin the prize wheel, which awarded guests a prize from one of the Flip Flop Shop’s manufacturers. The shop offers a wide variety of flip flops and casual wear, as well as accessories that support conservation and other causes. The Taylors were happy to walk guests around and show them some of their most popular brands, including Oofoos, Crocs, and Hey Dude. They even have a variety of Jibbitz charms for those who love to customize their Crocs. 

Traci and Kevin truly embody the family culture that drove them to open their Flip Flop Shop, and it showed as they interacted with guests. “We want to treat everyone who walks in the door like family,” Kevin said.

Flip Flop Shops Wesley Chapel is located at 1752 Bruce B Downs Blvd. For more information, call (813) 994-8204 or visit FlipFlopShops.com.

PetSmart Veterinary Services

The PetSmart Veterinary Services location in The Grove held a recent Grand Opening celebration in Wesley Chapel. 

Two weeks earlier, the PetSmart at The Grove in Wesley Chapel unveiled its new Veterinary Services with a self-hosted Grand Opening and Open House on March 18.

The Grand Opening event was held on a Saturday, which meant that on your way to the back of the store where the new vet services are located, you were greeted by cats and kittens up for adoption. Rescue Cats of Florida is at PetSmart at The Grove every Saturday with cats and kittens all eager to find loving “fur-ever” homes. If you have your vet appointment on a Saturday or you’re in the area, you can stop by and see if any of the playful cats are right for you.

Veterinary partners Dr. Alejandra Navarro and Dr. Leslie Block went all out for their Grand Opening. Guests were able to meet the staff, partake in a free photo booth with their pets, eat slices of Marco’s Pizza, plus Crumbl Cookies, cupcakes and other sweets, and sign up for appointments at the Vet Services kiosk. Dr. Navarro and Dr. Block have more than 26 years of combined experience and can’t wait to meet everyone’s fur babies.

The Grove PetSmart’s Veterinary Services is a privately owned, full-service hospital offering anything from vaccines to dental work and even surgeries. They also offer walk-ins and drop-offs for those who have busy schedules, as well as a cat room where they have pheromone diffuser plug-ins and scratching posts to help make visits for your cats as easy and cat-friendly as possible. 

Dr. Navarro also is bilingual, so she can help clients who feel most comfortable communicating in Spanish. She said that she is one of those people who knew from an early age that she wanted to be a vet. 

“I like making pet care simple and accessible to clients and not overwhelming, which it sometimes can be,” she said. “I want to be there for all stages of your pet’s life, from family introductions to navigating through older age.”

You can meet Dr. Navarro, Dr. Block and their friendly staff at 6001 Wesley Grove Blvd. For more information or to book your appointment, call (813) 761-1241 or visit PetSmart.com