Retro Dogs Co-Owners (l-r) Gisella Latorre, Gisella Troncozo, Luis Latorre and Samantha Latorre (Photo by Charmaine George)
As you’re receiving this issue, the KRATE at The Grove Container Park recently finished celebrating its two-year anniversary on June 8, but the lineup of restaurants and shops at the KRATEs continues to evolve.
One of the biggest changes is that The Chicken Boss, the fried chicken concept opened last year by The Bacon Boss HQ owners Josh and Christy Norland, has closed. The Norlands’ announcement on The Chicken Boss’ Facebook page said, however, that “select menu items from The Chicken Boss will find a new home at The Bacon Boss HQ.”
Meanwhile, the Chicken Boss will be replaced at the KRATEs by Indian Street Kitchen, the faster-food concept from owner Harry Patel at Persis Indian Grill, the instant hit that opened earlier this year next to Double Branch Brewing & Bites in the Village at The Grove.
“We’ll be serving every type of Indian street food at the new location,” Harry told me. “Come see and taste what we have to offer.” Although he wouldn’t give me any hints as to what the menu will include (“It’s not finished yet,” he said), a quick Google search revealed that samosas, those crispy, delicately spiced potato-filled pastries that are amazing at Persis, are the most popular type of Indian street food. Harry did say that Indian Street Kitchen should be open soon., although it weas not yet open at our press time.
Meanwhile, the Sausage King, located in the second space occupied by TJ’s Hot Dogs (TJ’s was the original tenant in the Chicken Boss space at the KRATEs), has closed just a few months after opening and has now been replaced by Retro Dogs. Retro Dogs is owned by Seven Oaks residents Gisella Troncozo and Luis Latorre, and their daughters, Gisella Latorre and Samantha Latorre (photo, above), and features a make your own hot dog station, a new hotdog being added every week, French fries, milkshakes and beer.
The hot dogs at both TJ’s and Sausage King were great, but hopefully, Retro Dogs will hang around a little longer.
Although not located in the KRATEs, Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken & Wings is expected to open in the former location of King of the Coop at the front of The Grove, next to Brooklyn Water Bagel Co.
Like King of the Coop, Hangry Joe’s specializes in Nashville hot chicken sandwiches (photo, left), plus wings, shakes and waffle fries. With 21 franchise locations (including the nearest to us at 5347 Gall Blvd. in Zephyrhills, photo below), and restaurants in Korea and Dubai, Korean corporate owners Derek Cha and Mike Kim have a simple premise — “to deliver the finest chicken sandwich in town.” For more information, visit HangryJoes.com.
And finally, congratulations to new TrebleMakers Dueling Piano Bar & Restaurant (6034 Wesley Grove Blvd.) owner Jason Scott, who recently took over from original owners Jamie and Joe Hess and Lee Bevan.
Jason is an accomplished pianist who both played and booked the dueling pianists at TrebleMakers, and he is working hard to revamp the service and experience at the restaurant before trying to figure out what changes to make to the menu. He has started with new $8 lunch specials offered Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
As much as I love doing the dining reviews for my publications, I’m sure you long-time readers are aware that Indian food has always been something of a hit-or-miss proposition for my taste.
So, when I heard that Persis Indian Grill was moving into the space previously occupied by Omnivorous (adjacent to Double Branch Brewing) in The Grove, I didn’t know what to expect.
Well, rest assured that the first authentic Indian restaurant to open in Wesley Chapel (outside of the clubhouse at Anand Vihar in Meadow Pointe) is an upscale (yet still casual and affordable) restaurant which offers a huge menu of favorites from what seems to be every region of the Indian subcontinent.
The owner, who goes by Harry, admits that he has never owned a restaurant before but I have to say that his recipes, handed down from not only his own family, but also the family recipes of his chef and many of his employees, are as good as any Indian cuisine I’ve sampled, which includes at least a half-dozen places located in New Tampa.
I basically always try the menu items that I’m more likely to enjoy on my first visit, which in the case of Persis, was just a couple of weeks ago, less than two weeks after the new restaurant first opened.
And, I’m happy to report that the butter naan bread at Persis (not pictured) has a delicious grilled flavor and just the right amount of butter. Harry suggested that I try the garlic naan on my next visit, “because it adds a different flavor when you eat it along with our other food.”
I also had to try two of my other usual favorites — the Tandoori lamb chops (top photo) and the Indo Chinese style chicken fried rice (right photo), both of which were outstanding.
The sizzling lamb chops were tender and not over-seasoned and the fried rice had delicious chunks of chicken, as well as tasty veggies, egg and spices. I planned to bring most of both items home, but I brought home a lot less fried rice than I planned because I couldn’t stop taking additional bites.
Harry says he has applied for a beer and wine license but alcohol is not currently being served at Persis. Even so, great job, Harry & crew!
Persis Indian Grill (5956 Wesley Grove Blvd., Suite 106) is open every day except Monday for lunch and dinner. For more info, visit PersisWesleyChapel.com or call (813) 388-2245.
This is one of the categories I neglected to include for our Reader Survey this year. Even though not all of the places on my list qualify as restaurants (e.g., Bakery X and Urban Sweets), these are all great KRATEs for food.
The seven-barber team at Elements of Stylez Barber Shop in the Freedom Plaza on S.R. 54 is led by Briannah (“Bri”) Talley (Below, right) and her partner Daniel (Danny”) Quintana (Below, Left). (Photos by Charmaine George)
Getting your hair cut, trimmed, faded, or styled can be fun and relaxing, or even a little nerve-wracking, as you wait to see your new look. One thing it usually is not is a family experience. Wouldn’t it be nice for men, women, young children and teens to all be able to go to one place for great haircuts and styles? Well look no further — Elements of Stylez Barber Shop, in the Freedom Plaza on S.R. 54, is just that place.
Elements of Stylez (EOS) is a one-stop barber shop with modern music and décor and an upbeat atmosphere that is welcoming to all. The barbers at EOS are ready to cut and style men’s and women’s hair of all hair types and lengths. They also are naturals at keeping young children calm and still, so they can get that perfect first haircut starting at age 1, or get that stylish fade or blowout just right for teens before prom.
Daniel Quintana and Briannah Talley, also known as “Danny and Bri,” are the couple and business partners behind EOS, combining their hair and cosmetology experience to open the business together in 2018.
Danny has been working with hair for 35 years, first for about 17 years in the Bronx, NY, before moving to Florida and continuing his career here.
He says that becoming a barber was something that basically fell into his lap. He was thinking of starting a new career path when he went to get his usual haircut. He got to talking to his barber and realized his hobby of cutting hair for friends and family could actually be a sustainable career.
“After that haircut, I bought a pair of nice clippers and just never looked back,” Danny says.
Teaching himself, as well as training with barbers and beauticians over the years, Danny discovered a passion for hair cutting and now can’t see himself doing anything else.
“I have no regrets. If I had to do it all over again, I’d still choose to be a barber,” says Danny. “Even in my next life, I’ll be a barber. This career has given me opportunities and joy that I would never trade for anything else.”
While living in New Tampa and working at a local barber shop, Danny met his girlfriend Bri at a local Supercuts 8 years ago. Bri, who hails from Detroit, is formidable with hair herself — or, as she puts it — “a beast with the clippers.” Deciding to work together — and work for themselves — they opened EOS together as co-owners and moved to Wesley Chapel, where most of their team lives, too.
“We’re three female and four male barbers altogether, and five of us live in Wesley Chapel,” Danny says. “We love our Wesley Chapel community and watching it grow. We are grateful to all of our customers, near and far, who’ve helped us grow, too.”
Booking With Booksy
In addition to Danny and Bri, the talented team at EOS includes Mo, Yissi (pronounced “GC”), Isaac, Beatriz and Victor. In addition to haircuts for all ages, the barbers at EOS also offer fades, buzz cuts, shape-ups, cuts with designs and layer cuts, as well as braids, twists, and “locs” (aka dreadlocks). They also offer relaxing hot towel shaves and beard trims, shampoo and deep conditioning treatments, and hot tool styling for short or long hair.
Be sure to check out almost all of the EOS barbers on Booksy, a website that lets you book appointments for barbers, hairstylists, nail salon artists, licensed massage therapists and more. Here, you can see the EOS barbers’ services in detail — with prices, estimated time needed for your service, pictures and reviews of their work.
For example, Booksy says that Victor can hook you up with an after-hours appointment if you need it, and also offers fades, beard colors and eyebrow shaping with a razor. Isaac’s reviews make it clear that he’s great with both kids and adults. Mo is your man if you need steady hands for clean hairlines and designs. Yissi does hair for males and females of all ages but is known for women’s blowouts and “updos,” as well as eyebrow and lip waxes, locs styling, curly cuts, deep conditioning treatments, beard trims and shape-ups.
Beatriz is the only barber at EOS without a Booksy account, but many residents of Wesley Chapel already are familiar with her work. Beatriz was the owner of Cuts & More, the previous salon at this same location, before selling it to Danny and Bri, and she continues to cut and style hair for her many long-time (and new) clients at EOS.
Danny and Bri have a shared Booksy account and they both cut and style hair for kids, teens, men and women. In addition to many of the services already discussed, Bri and Danny also offer men’s scissor cuts, bald head cuts or trims with clippers or razor, fades and hot tool styling. They are both great with kids, especially cutting fades and intricate designs like hearts, stars, diamonds, and even the University of South Florida (USF) Bulls logo.
Bri can do just about any hair service for women, from layer cuts to hot tool styling to natural cuts and keratin treatments.
An example of SMP. (Above photo from Danny Quintana)
Danny is the resident scalp micropigmentation (SMP) expert at EOS. SMP is a specialized hair tattoo (see photo on next page) that gives the appearance of growing hair. He says that SMP is a great option to manage hair loss and receding hairlines and can last for 3-5 years.
Danny has a unique experience with SMP as someone who has used it himself and now does it for others. He uses tattoo ink, instead of tattoo pigment, for longer-lasting results and stresses that it is important to go to an SMP artist who is really comfortable and skilled at the process.
“There are many who can do SMP, but not many who can do it right,” shares Danny. “It is a tattoo that involves thousands of shallow applications to mimic hair follicles. Unfortunately, I have seen it done wrong, where the end result really does not look good, not like hair at all, so picking the right person is essential.”
No matter what your reason is for visiting EOS, all of their barbers will leave with your hair looking good.
Tani Mitchell is a regular customer of Danny’s and EOS.
“I’m originally a transplant from Pennsylvania, so when I first came down here, it took a few haircuts from a few different people before I got referred to Danny,” says Tani. “But, once I started working with Danny, I was set. I’ve actually being getting haircuts with Danny for 8 years, so when he and Bri opened the shop, I followed him there.”
There’s no other barbershop Tani would prefer for himself or even his kids.
“When I go to EOS, I get the full service — beard, haircut, hot towel and shave,” Tani says. “My son got his first haircut there when he was 2-1/2 years old. I love everyone in the shop. Bri has done my daughters’ braids before sports season. She’s also cut my hair and my son’s hair. Beatriz has also done blowouts for my daughter. They cater to everybody. Great shop, great family environment.”
Elements of Stylez Barber Shop is located at 30040 S.R. 54. The shop is open Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m., and 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m., on Sat. (closed on Sun.). For appointments, call (813) 575-8416. Also visit @Elements_of_Stylez on Instagram to see pictures of the creative cuts, designs, and styles created by Danny and the rest of the EOS team of barbers.
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.
