Bob Deakin Short Stories

The outdoor seating area of Yummy's at the entrance of the Art Village in Gulfport, FL. Photo by Bob Deakin

Visitors to Gulfport’s Art Village have become used to Yummy’s, the three year-old luncheonette in the colorful 86 year-old bungalow in the center of the courtyard, known for its all-American treats and setting.

Lori Luczak purchased Yummy’s last October from original owners Bonnie and Richard Reale after being a loyal customer since the restaurant opened. She had experience in the restaurant industry but wasn’t planning on returning to the business until she walked into the Reale’s establishment.

“I fell in love with it the minute I walked in and I’ve always wanted to do something like this,” Luczak says.

She became a regular customer and got along well with the owners as she settled in as a new Gulfport resident not long ago.

“As I kept coming in Rich and Bonnie and I became good friends. He was going to retire and was ready to sell and he sold it to me. After about a month of retirement he couldn’t stand it any more,” she says with a laugh.

Mr. Reale came back to work at the store part-time and will operate its new trailer – “Bringing Yummy’s to Your Tummys!” – this summer at fairs and other events throughout the area. The flashy new trailer is currently parked in front of the store in preparation for Memorial Day weekend events as it is loaded with supplies for its maiden voyage.

Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Luczak’s route to Gulfport was a long one in more ways than one. A few years ago living in Orlando she suffered serious injuries to her neck, shoulder and arm in an accident and went through several surgeries followed by a long recuperation period.

“I came to Gulfport because I knew for two years I’d be tied up with the surgeries and the healing,” she remembers. “Instead of being in Orlando where I couldn’t really get around with my neck brace on I came to Gulfport just to get some fresh air and be able to walk down to the beach.”

She also wasn’t able to drive and enjoyed Gulfport’s small and vibrant downtown atmosphere.

“I’d be walking back and forth to the beach and Yummy’s was one of the places I’d stop at and that was basically it. I just fell in love with it. It was a good place to be at a time of healing. That’s how I ended up here.”

Chicago-style hot dogs are the signature item at Yummy’s and Vienna Beef dogs, Gonnella French rolls, sport peppers and other ingredients are shipped straight from Chicago. The Italian Beef Sandwich is another popular item on the menu and is built of sliced roast beef dipped in a natural gravy on toasted Gonnella, also served with hot peppers and onions.

Corn dogs, veggie dogs, turkey dogs and chili dogs are also staples on the menu as well as a beef and sausage combo, meatball sub, Polish sausage on a roll, pizza bread and soups. Sandwiches include the classic grilled pastrami on rye with Swiss and mustard, the Reuben, the Dagwood (turkey, ham and roast beef) and a host of others. Lighter items include the “veggie pita” or wrap, salads and a kids menu.

Homemade chili comes in cups, bowls and even quarts and is from a recipe originally created by Richard Reale’s grandmother. He opened the first Yummy’s in Alabama a few years ago but the Gulfport location is the only one that remains.

Hershey’s Ice Cream is a customer favorite at Yummy’s and tough to keep on the shelves. It comes in 21 flavors in a cup or cone as well as in sundaes and milk shakes.

Yummy’s now opens for breakfast seven days a week and has also added beer and wine to the menu. The deceptively large interior of the store has undergone a complete color scheme change to brighter shades throughout, reflecting the Vienna Beef and Hershey’s brands. It will undergo a few more minor renovations to cater to the beer and wine customers on one end of the store but will remain mostly the same as it now appears.

Music is usually playing inside and out and the atmosphere is decidedly casual with indoor and outdoor seating, customers in flip flops and pets tagging along for the trip.

Yummy’s is open from 8 am to 7 pm Monday through Thursday, until 9 pm Friday and Saturday and until 5 pm on Sundays. It is a member of the Gulfport Merchant’s Association and the Chamber of Commerce. Call 727-321-9869 to arrange an event at the store or visit Yummy’s Facebook page.

Yummy’s Slideshow

Originally published on Patch.com in May 2011

Copyright 2011

Coney Island Grill owner Hank Barlas. His father opened the business in 1926. Photo by Bob Deakin

ST. PETERSBURG – Old St. Petersburg still exists at the Coney Island Grill, at 250 Dr Martin Luther King St. North.

This St. Pete institution was opened in 1926 by Peter Barlas, a Greek immigrant, who opened the restaurant after several attempts to settle in the Northeast.

He charged a nickel for a hot dog. Chili dogs were the signature item on the menu.

Not much has changed over the years. Coney Island Grille is now run by Hank Barlas, Peter’s son, who was born nine years after the restaurant opened.

Hank comes in every morning to set up shop and handle the food preparation.

Coney Island Grill opened at a different location downtown, and moved to its current spot in 1950.

Hank’s brother, George, was a co-owner until he passed away several years ago; Hank’s son, Peter, will soon take a share of the ownership.

The grill.

Chili dog with mustard and onions reign supreme (just don’t ask for catsup). The chili is made from a recipe developed by Hank’s father; it remains a well-kept family secret.

Other favorites are the cheeseburger, chili burger and of course the shakes. The restaurant takes its name from New York’s Coney Island, home of Nathan’s Famous, a favorite of Hank’s father when he first came to the United States.

One step into the restaurant is a step into the past, with classic diner booths with old photos of ballparks, movie stars and icons. Another tribute to the past is the current menu prices. A chili dog sells for $1.72, a hamburger deluxe for $2.92, grilled ham & cheese sandwich for $3.64 and shakes for $3.

Of the eight employees, Jerry Lovely (or Jerry R. Lovely, I are not as Hank refers to him) has been there the longest with 30 years of service. Most have been there 20 years or more. Coney Island Grill is open from 10 am to 6:30 pm Monday through Friday, Saturday 10 am to 3:30 pm. and closed on Sundays.

Q. What’s kept Coney Island Grill in business for so long?

A. We have customers who’ve been coming in here since they were kids and as a matter of fact we had one who died just a couple months ago who’d been coming in here since 1926. We’ve also got another one whose been coming here that long too. He doesn’t come that often because the problem is people that age can’t eat this kind of food anymore, like me, I’m having trouble with it but I love it, that’s the killer.

Q. Do any of the baseball players from the past or present ever come in?

A. Don Zimmer comes in all the time. He’s not supposed to be eating here either but he’s been coming in. Last year he was taking [the chili dogs] to [Rays Manager Joe] Madden but I don’t know that he still is or not. Madden’s wife might have put him on a stricter diet, who knows. Mel Torme was in one time and one of our former governors was a customer too.

Q: Why is there a five cent charge for catsup?

A: Because it ruins my chili.

Q. Any truth to the rumor that your waitresses don’t hesitate to put customers in their place?

A. Oh yeah, but they’re mostly gone by now. I liked it. The customers seemed to like it too. I had one waitress who used to say to a guy as he was ordering, ‘shut up, sit down and eat what I put in front of you’ and give him the same thing he always ate. People are different now, much more sensitive. Even more than they were eight or nine years ago.”

Q: Have there been any notable incidents in the restaurant’s history?

A. There are so many. The reason we don’t have French fries is that the deep fryer caught on fire one time with my dad and he through it out the door – after he got the fire out of course – and we haven’t had fries since.

Q. hat are some significant changes you’ve seen over the years?

A. When we opened this place hot dogs were a nickel and you could buy 20 of them for a dollar. A brand new automobile was about $395 too.

Q. How has the location changed?

A. It’s not in the central area anymore. In the old days the Festival of States Parade used to come straight up 9^th Street here right by the store. Central Avenue between 4^th and 9^th was pretty much the center of town and that’s changed a lot. We’ve still got people coming in bringing their grand kids and great grand kids in. Sometimes you have four generations sitting at two tables over there.

Originally published on Patch.com in May 2011

Copyright 2011

A great menu, sunny weather, waterfront location and outdoor seating have O’Maddy’s Bar & Grille on pace for a record year in 2011. The Shore Blvd. restaurant has been around for more than 20 years and is now entrenched as a Gulfport landmark.

Joe Guenther is the general manager and his wife Maddy is the owner. He explained that many years ago she wanted to open an Irish pub so she simply put an ‘O’ in front of her name and went into business. That was 1989 and the location had been in her family for years before that. One side of the building was formerly a snack bar and a gas station stood at the the corner building.

“Business is very good,” Guenther says. “We’re on track for a record year this year. January wasn’t so great, we had a really good February and a record March and a record April.”

Good weather usually means good business at O’Maddy’s, perched at the end of Williams Pier in prime real estate for visiting boaters and tourists. A few years ago the owners decided to take better advantage of the location and take down the walls on the corner of the building.

“This building used to be all enclosed,” he says of the exposed side of the building. “We were open and operational but when we knocked the building down and opened it all up it made a night and day difference in the amount of volume that we do because of the view.”

There’s a dinghy dock and five boat slips off The Casino pier providing a destination for boaters to make their way across Boca Ciega Bay to O’Maddy’s. Guenther warns that the waters are rough for power boaters but that most boaters are careful and responsible.

“We get a lot of business from the boating community as a whole for sure,” he says. “We get a lot of people off the water, Stetson College students, people from Town Shores, Pasadena Yacht & Country Club; a little of a mix of everything.”

The signature menu item at O’Maddy’s is the “Famous Beef on Weck – The RBK!!!” as it is listed on the menu. It is a thin sliced London port roast beef on a Kimmelweck roll with au jus and horseradish. The Kimmelweck – sometimes spelled Kummelweck – is similar to a Kaiser roll and comes from an old German recipe later made famous in Buffalo, New York. It is baked with kosher salt and caraway seeds on top, distinctively rich in flavor and texture.

“If you go to Buffalo, roast beef on Kimmelweck is everywhere up there,” Guenther says. “It’s one of the most popular sandwiches in Buffalo today. My grandfather was the very first person to serve that sandwich in Buffalo. That’s where that sandwich originated from but he brought it over from Germany.”

Popular in Gulfport too, O’Maddy’s sells about a thousand RBKs each month.

The menu is huge. Chef Wade Parrish has loaded it with a wide array of appetizers, salads, pastas, steaks, pork, chicken and seafood as well as sandwiches, vegetarian dishes and a kids menu.

Another staple is Bubba’s Buffalo Chicken Dip in honor of local radio personality Bubba the Love Sponge. It’s a chicken wing on a chip, originated by Bubba himself. As for drinks, O’Maddy’s serves a “Bo-Tikitini” in honor of Maddy Guenther’s “Bo-Tiki” store in Gulfport. It includes Smirnoff Blueberry Twist vodka, Triple Sec, cranberry, lime juice and simple syrup.

Maddy Guenther is a Gulfport native and Joe is originally from Connecticut but grew up in Sarasota. Both have been long been active in town, involved with organizations such as the Waterfront Redevelopment Advisory Board, Gulfport Merchant’s Association and the Chamber of Commerce.

Most of the restaurant staff of about 30 have been with them for a long time and it’s a cheerful place to be, as evidenced by the smiling faces during the bustle of activity on a recent morning as they all prepared for the lunchtime rush. Joe Guenther likes the casual atmosphere and assures it’s is a fun place to work.

“Absolutely. I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he says. “The view, the location and the great people. The mix of the crowd that we have that comes in here is sometimes amazing. It’s a diverse community for sure and absolutely a lot of fun.”

As for the future, O’Maddy’s may expand to a second floor over both sections of the existing structure.

“That’s been a goal of ours for a while,” Guenther confirmed. “Before we bought this property we had plans drawn to build a second story and we got approved. Then the opportunity came up to buy this property and we ended up buying it and kind of going sideways instead of up but that’s still our long term goal.”

O’Maddy’s is open from 8 am to 3 am every day (Sunday at 11 am) and can be reached at 727-323-8643 or via its Facebook page.

O’Maddy’s Slide Show

Originally published on Patch.com in May 2011

Copyright 2011

Larry Rudolph takes a break in front of his new store. Photo by Bob Deakin

Every day is Christmas at Rudolph’s Custard Shop in south St. Petersburg. Owner Larry Rudolph opened the incredibly charming little shop just weeks ago, longing for a small neighborhood feeling, just like he remembers from his childhood in Ohio.

He could have chosen a downtown location with a lot more foot traffic, but he’s right where he wants to be, on 6^th St. South, next to the legendary Munch’s Restaurant.

Although Christmas is the theme, frozen custard is the star. It comes from a secret homemade recipe created 30 years ago by Rudolph’s parents, George and Peggy. They developed it using premium custard ingredients, including 1.4 percent  pasteurized egg yolk, 10 percent butter fat and pure honey blended in a machine made exclusively for producing custard.

“We’ve got our own secret recipe and I won’t reveal that,” Rudolph proudly says. “Honey custard is our trademark. That’s our product and that was an invention of my dad’s. It’s a true custard; a super premium ice cream. To be a custard it’s got to have the right ingredients plus it has to be made properly.”

Flavors are vanilla and chocolate, with a choice of 17 toppings and homemade whipped cream. The custard is served in a cone or cup, large or small and everything is served with a Christmas theme.

A shake is a Shiver, a parfait a Blitzen, a Sunday a Snowday and so on. Rudolph personally makes the custard and the whipped cream fresh every morning at 5 a.m. It is never stored and served the next day, which is tricky to pull off, particularly with such a new shop. If the stock is running low he simply comes back and makes a new batch.

“Everything is done right here in the shop every day, from the egg yolks to the vanillas the cocoas, the honey, everything,” he says. “There’s a big difference between custard and ice cream. Its fresh and custard should not have any air in it. Every penny you spend is on cream.”

As much as it costs to prepare the true custard, his prices (about $3 a serving) don’t reflect it. None of the ingredients is imitation, including 100 percent real cocoa, which first has to be melted and then incorporated into the process.

Rudolph is a financial planner for Wells Fargo and works in downtown St. Pete but opens the shop every day and is close by to keep an eye on the custard supply. His manager, Leah, runs the operation when he’s not there.

The original shop opened in 1982 in Valley City, Ohio, a farm town outside Cleveland, where Larry worked as a teenager. His father was a career salesman but always had his hand in the restaurant business, and the family used to operate a concession stand at balloon festivals, carnivals, tractor pulls and other events, providing the genesis of the idea for a custard shop in a small town.

“This location just grabbed me,” he says with excitement. “Our Valley City location was in a cute little country town. Not your busy shopping malls. Everyone in the community new it and this to me – south St. Pete – is just that way. It’s a great little community. Munch’s has been here sixty years in the same family. There’s great community loyalty and I wanted to have customers like that.”

Everything in the shop, a former post office, is brand new and spotless. Every inch is utilized and decorated, with old-fashioned colorful stools for the customers to sit at along the front the counter. It is loaded with Christmas decorations, including a wish list mailbox for Santa with Christmas movies and music playing all day.

Rudolph would consider opening additional stores in the future, possibly independently owned, but he wouldn’t want to franchise. He is steadfast on his focus on small, neighborhood shops.

“The neighborhood shop atmosphere has surprised me beyond my expectations,” he’s happy to say. “The people are awesome and they’ve been telling their friends about it. People are coming back now saying so and so told me I had to come and try this.”

Rudolph has three children and still takes care of his mother, who lives in Jacksonville. His father passed away many years ago, not long after opening their store, and the custard shop is a long-held dream. He and his family have been in Florida for 25 years, and after decades of thinking about it, he finally decided to give in to his desire.

“Life grabs you,” he says. “I’ve been taking care of my mom and for whatever reason I said, ‘OK, you know what, I’m going to go out and start the custard shop again.’ ”

Hours of operation are from noon to 9 pm, 7 days a week. Rudolph’s Custard Shop is at the intersection of 6^th St. S. and 40^th Ave. S. and can be reached by phone at 727-260-1658 or via its web site or Facebook page.

Rudolph’s Slide Show

Originally published on Patch.com in May 2011

Copyright 2011

Ray Ritola in front of his Hooker Tea Company store.

ST. PETERSBURG – Ray Ritola began as an employee at Hooker Tea Company in St. Petersburg last May after graduating from Eckerd College.

Three months later he was promoted to manager; four months after that the 22-year-old was the new owner-operator of the downtown retail store.

Hooker Tea was founded by Shawn Hooker – who remains the owner of the franchise and another store in Tampa – when he became frustrated in his quest for high quality alternatives to coffee.

His company now serves more than 100 of the best loose leaf teas available from around the world and brews them one cup at a time.

Hooker stepped back from day-to-day operations of the St. Pete store to focus on expanding the business and licensing opportunities, which include making its tea available to other stores. Hooker also has a joint effort with Cigar City Brewing to create tea-infused beers.

Foot traffic on Beach Drive provides most of the store’s customer base, though Hooker Tea also sells teas and accessories online.

It is in the perfect location to take a break from shopping, cool off and relax in the expansive, elegant setting, where there is plenty of room to meet with others, or just sit quietly with a laptop and enjoy a fresh-made cup, along with a pastry.

Ritola sat down for a few minutes after work this week to answer a few questions about the business and the second-most consumed beverage in the world after water.

Q. What is unique about your teas?

A. It’s all loose leaf blends as opposed to bag teas. Normally a finer cut, loose leaf tea in general brews a much bolder, stronger cup of tea. It’s brewed in an open container so it allows all the leaves to fully expand for the freshest cup of tea you can get. All of our teas are brewed fresh for each and every customer. It’s not something where you brew a vat of it and it sits around all day.

Q. What levels of caffeine can customers expect from tea?

A. We have teas that are naturally caffeine free – it’s a different type of bush – to some that have the equivalent amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee. It’s a little bit different of a caffeine compound than coffee, where you get the so-called spikes and crashes. Caffeine in tea is a little more gradual. You get more of a slow growth to it and then it gives you a slow residual drop off as well.

Q. How else are you marketing your product?
A.  We work now with Cigar City Brewing, and we have tea-infused beers and tea-infused sangria. One is a blend [of tea] we’ve developed along with the Dali Museum. It’s called the Dali Bold and Spicy. Cigar City makes the Dali Bold and Spicy beer that goes with it as well. We make tea-infused oatmeal and we’re starting to work on tea-infused salad dressings and things like that. To take just the basics of something so small and be able to create something so large out of it is just a neat [marketing] concept.

Q. Where do your teas come from?

A. All over the world. Our green teas and white teas are from Japan and China. We get our Rooibos blend straight from South Africa. Mates are from South America. We don’t get more than 10 percent of our stock from one distributor, we try to create a global network.

Q. Can you describe how the Hooker Tea Company franchise will operate?

A. It’s going to be a little different than your stereotypical franchise. It’s not going to be like McDonald’s where they all look exactly the same and serve the same thing and there’s specific regulations. There are freedoms for us to be able to explore a larger retail portion or food portion. There are just some set strict guidelines that you’ll see to keep the uniform look to the stores.

Q. What do you see for the future of the franchise?

A. Corporate as a whole is working on expanding. Personally, I’m looking to have just this location for the first two to three years, so I can get a feel for it. I want to get into the environment to know that it’s something I want to do for the rest of my life and something I know I’m capable of doing. Ideally I also want to see about bringing it to New England, New York City and Boston. I feel it’s a unique niche that if I can find the right location it could be very successful.

Q. What are your goals as a business owner?

A. My two objectives when I took over the company were to reduce cost and consumption and become as eco-friendly as I can. I changed out all the lighting. All of the bags we get in will be from 100 percent recycled products and 100 percent post-consumer recyclable. I also wanted to support the local community. We get the juices from a local orange grower, the berries from a local farmer and anything else we can. Even though we get the teas from all over the world the smaller items we support the local community because they’re the ones that support us.

Originally published on Patch.com in May 2011

Copyright 2011

Kevin McBride in his store, McB's Men's Clothing Broker. Photo by Bob Deakin

ST. PETERSBURG – Kevin McBride opened McB’s Men’s Clothing Broker 15 months ago (as “Trendsetters”) to bring the brand name clothing from the malls to downtown St. Petersburg. The cozy little store on the corner of 1^st Ave. and 7^th St. is loaded with high-end brand name clothing, all on consignment at remarkably reduced prices.

Prada shirts selling for as much as $400 in retail stores can be found for as little as $80, while True Religion jeans normally at $220 can be had for $75.

Prices vary depending on quality and uniqueness, but most brands can be found for less than 30 percent of retail cost. Ties that regularly see for $100 routinely go for $20, and customers can walk out with a $500 Ralph Lauren suit for $100.

McB’s takes clothing items from its clients and splits the earnings 50/50. McBride is meticulous in his tastes, and all items must be in near perfect condition with no marks or missing parts. He seeks out hotter, newer brands and keeps the items on the rack for as long as three months before returning them to the owners or donating them on their behalf.

The selection changes every Wednesday, and he draws repeat customers looking for hidden gems with each change, which amounts to approximately 50 to 100 new items a week. He also sells coats, gloves, hats, shoes, t-shirts and tuxedos, all in an eclectic setting underscored with music and splashed with photos, lots of color, and old records lining the ceiling.

Originally from California, McBride effortlessly plays the role of an authority on current trends as he explains the difficulty in finding high quality brand name clothing for men at affordable prices.

Q. Why is your business a good fit for St. Petersburg?

A. St. Pete’s growing, there’s a lot of restaurants and nightclubs and businesses moving here and really not a lot of men’s stores in the area. You’ve got to go to Tyrone Square Mall or the International Plaza. I have a little bit of every shop here in my store. I have Banana Republic, a lot of the hip surfing shops, Tommy Bahama, Nat Nast, Levis.

Q. What are some of the hidden gems to be found?

A. Here’s an Italian Ermenegildo Zegna suit, which is $900 in the stores; $250 here. A Robert Graham shirt, $220 in the stores, and we sell these for $75 to $100. These are the very expensive shirts at Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Ave. I’ve got shoes by Cole Haan, Ferragamo, and this pair of Johnston & Murphy is $175 in stores, $45 here. I’ve got a little bit of everything here under one small roof. Guys can come in, parking’s easy and free and they can get out quick.

Q. How do you know what will sell?

A. The trends start at the malls and we want to immediately follow them. We’re here in Florida, near the beach and Tommy Bahamas are our best sellers. These shirts fly off the rack. This trend is still strong. These are beautiful shirts that go for $75 to $125 in the stores, $30 here.

Q. What do you like about downtown St. Petersburg?

A. I shopped around. It was very expensive on 4^th St. and Central Ave. at the time and I fell in love with how cute this little corner store was. My philosophy was if I open up a niche then guys are going to find me. I chose the location because it’s cute, it’s easily accessible and affordable so I can keep my prices low for my customers.

Q. What is McB’s niche market?

A. I’m perfect for the guy who’s struggling in this economy. A lot of people have been hit hard and I was a part of that and that’s why I opened this place. This is a place where guys can come and make money or save money. I’m a place where a guy can get the high end stuff from the mall and save a ton of money.

For More Information

McB’s is located at 701 1^st Ave. N. in St. Petersburg. Call 727-258-4932 or contact the store via Facebook.

McB’s Slide Show

Originally published on Patch.com in May 2011

Copyright 2011

Joan Clinger and Lynn Weigand inside Bringe Music. Photo by Bob Deakin

Starting in 1956, generations of St. Petersburg students got their first musical instruments from Bringe Music. That tradition is alive and well at the Central Avenue shop today.

Co-owners Lynn Weigand and Joan Clinger continue to broaden the base of students in central Florida who use Bringe for their musical needs. The shop has 14 employees and more than 500 students for classes and private lessons.

The store itself is filled with every conceivable instrument, cable and music book. But it’s the school, the service and most importantly, the rentals that keep Bringe (pronounced Bring-Gee) a familiar name with area students as their musical studies progress.

Originally founded by Walter Bringe and later owned by Bill Findeison, the business rents and services instruments to more than 100 schools and music stores as far away as Marion County and Orlando. The storefront offers a walk-in retail business, plus services online.

Lynn Weigand took a few moments out of a busy day last week to answer questions from Patch.

Q: Do you notice the generations change among your customers?

A. That’s what we pride ourselves on. Our first exposure with people a lot of times is Johnny is in 5^th grade now and wants to play an instrument so they come here and rent from us. Then they have an older or younger brother who wants to play guitar so they’ll take lessons at the school and the parents will get involved. It is generational an, “Oh, when I was a kid my parents rented from you.”

Q: How did you get involved to the point where you decided to buy the store?

A. I started working here in 1981 as a band department person. Bill Findeison decided it was time to retire. He had the option to sell to an outside entity or offer the business it to us, so they structured it so we were able to do that. It’s got its challenges but it’s nice working for yourself.

Q: What kind of influence was Bill Findeison?

A. He was a mentor. Definitely a father figure for me. I learned a lot of things from him, business-wise, and he’s an incredible musician. A tuba player and band director, he still leads the Second Time Arounders. He’s a fabulous musician and music director, which doesn’t always go hand in hand.

Q: How do you manage to expand the range of the business?
A. We work with other music stores, and they rent our instruments for us in locations that are convenient to their customers. We also have three road guys who travel, visit schools and do repairs so the rentals are the big thing for us. A lot of people don’t have a clue; they walk in the door, see the music store and think this is it.

Q: Are people still buying music instruments in stores as much as they are online?

A. The Internet has affected every industry and every brick and mortar store regardless of what they’re selling. That’s one area in which I hope taxes do get [implemented] to make it easier. Even if we sell an instrument at the same pric, come on! Taxes help support our schools, our government and our roads and all the other things. I think it would improve our sales if the Internet was required to charge tax.

Q: Do you bother with celebrity appearances in the store?
A. We get a lot of people who come in from different bands. Famous bands who come in and go, “We’re playing down here, do you have this or that?’” It’s nice to have famous people come in but it’s much more gratifying and fulfilling to be involved with the neighborhood and get as many people involved in music as possible because we think it’s really good for society and good for individuals. There’s nothing bad about music and everything is positive. Especially with young students. It really enhances their education.”

Bringe Music Slide Show

Originally published on Patch.com in April 2011

Copyright 2011

Greg Jones of St. Petersburg was a pre-med student following a stint in the U.S. Army when he decided to pursue acupuncture as a profession.

Subsequent years of practice witnessed too many cases of patients who couldn’t afford the treatment, so he chose to go on his own to make it accessible and affordable.

St. Pete Community Acupuncture in downtown St. Petersburg is the realization of that dream.

Jones earned a degree in biology at Syracuse University, graduated from the Florida Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine and is licensed as an Acupuncture Physician in the state of Florida.

He operates his business in a small clinic on 18th Street, and in just two years has seen it grow by word of mouth, as more people see acupuncture as a way to restore balance and health.

Jones, who lives in St. Petersburg with his wife and young child, chose the location for convenience – close to downtown to the west – and is adamant about making acupuncture affordable to people without insurance.

He talked with Patch about his career and passion.

Q: What does acupuncture accomplish that other treatments may not?

A. There is energy that we call Qi (pronounced “chi”) that runs through the body. When everything is running in balance and unimpeded then we’re healthy. When there’s blockage of that energy flow or one of the organ systems is out of balance with another then we get symptoms of disease. Acupuncture helps restore balance and restore the flow of energy through the body.

Q: What is the most common misconception about acupuncture?

A. I guess the biggest misconception is everybody’s afraid of the needles. In truth it’s nothing like getting a shot. The acupuncture needles aren’t like traditional needles from a western medical point of view. The other misconception is that acupuncture is extremely expensive and we’re trying to change that. For most of its history acupuncture has been a peasant medicine and it’s been valuable because it’s been accessible to the public, whereas [western medicine] has made it more expensive and made it a commodity.

Q: How long is a treatment?

A. It’s a process. I usually ask people to allow four treatments and we should then be noticing things going in the right direction. The average plan for an uncomplicated problem would be about six to twelve treatments. If we can get people relaxed and comfortable for a while everything else tends to fall into place.

Q: Who benefits the most?

A. People who are in a lot of pain and need to get back to work or just need to feel better. People who are going through a lot of stressful times and have things like digestive issues, irritable bowel syndrome, migraine headaches, things like that. I’ve also had a lot of allergy patients recently.

Q: What is your goal for the business?

A. To [eventually] be open 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week with more acupuncturists and really be the place to go for acupuncture. I want people to come here instead of taking medication, instead of self-medicating with alcohol or drugs, to come here and feel better.

Q: Can you describe the inspiration to open your own clinic?

A. The whole change in my paradigm shift came when I started seeing people that couldn’t afford acupuncture. It’s [typically] priced toward the upper-middle class and that’s not where I’m from. I’ve been doing it a long time, and I know it works; it just needs to be accessible and that’s what this clinic is about.

Haslam’s Books on Central Avenue is one of St. Petersburg’s oldest retail businesses, selling new and used books to Florida residents and tourists since 1933. Ray and Suzanne Hinst now own and operate the business that Suzanne’s grandparents founded in downtown St. Pete. Their 30,000 square-foot store has more than a quarter-million titles and seems to keep growing.

The store has seen several downtown locations in its time, first at 9^th St. and 7^th Ave. North, and has continued to thrive in its current location at 2025 Central Ave. since 1964.

Haslam’s has had its share of authors visit the store over the years, from Jack Kerouac in the 1960s to John Updike in the 1970s to crime fiction and adventure author Randy Wayne White for a book signing last month. 

The store remains active with signings and events, but maintains its central stream of revenue as an independent seller of books with no sales via the Internet.

Ray Hinst points out that Haslam’s was actually one of the first book stores to sell books on the Internet but that soon after they decided to focus on the bricks-and-mortar business.

He talked with Patch about the retail book business.

Q. Who are your main customers?

A. Our strength has always been something for everybody. We offer the broadest spectrum of books that we are able to establish a market for. Our strength is being able to sell modest numbers of a wide variety of things. We try to stay up on or ahead of what the community is going to demand.

Q. Are you affected by the tourist season?

A. Because there are fewer and fewer book stores our size, there are many communities in which people don’t have an opportunity to visit a place like this. As a result, when they have the opportunity, coming here to St. Pete and St. Pete Beach to visit, this is a logical place to come if they have an interest in books.

Q. What is it like to be able to own the building and run a retail store in this day and age?

A. You can’t grow a business like this anymore in this country. How could you afford it? It is probably a phenomenon, which we are seeing a change in – the idea of the big, super book store. When we first moved here it was a fraction of this size, and we added on over the years. Being family-owned and operated has allowed us to do that. Being in a community which has always supported books and reading has made a difference too.

Q. What might newer residents of St. Petersburg not know about Haslam’s Books?

My father-in-law (Charles Haslam) had a radio and a TV show, “The Wonderful World of Books,” for decades and that was an opportunity for the Tampa Bay area to have authors come through who otherwise would not have stopped here. There were a lot of celebrity authors in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s… We had Lawrence Welk, Skitch Henderson, Spiderman (Marvel comics 1970s), Gloria Swanson, Lillian Gish, William Buckley and many others.

Q. What are your goals looking forward?

A. To continue serving the community and provide the printed word as long as it exists and there’s a need for it… Maybe on-demand [publishing] is what will come, it’s hard to say. But accessibility to the printed word is probably as unparalleled now as it has ever been.

Originally published on Patch.com in April 2011

Copyright 2011

The Old Northeast Tavern occupies a cozy street corner in the Old Northeast section of St. Petersburg, a straight shot west of Vinoy Park.

As a business it is less than a decade old but looks – in a good way – like it’s been here since Calvin Coolidge was president, and in fact the building has.

The sign over the front of the establishment and the design of the vintage building, at 7th Avenue North, create the image of a classic corner bar, the block  reminiscent of old Boston or the Jersey Shore.

For many locals, it is the “Cheers” bar for the Old Northeast, a welcome neighbor among single-family houses and townhomes. The tavern offers live entertainment on weekends and special occasions. But things rarely get loud or out of hand.

The tavern seems to cultivate a laid-back atmosphere. It is a place to meet neighbors and friends. There are 22 beers on tap, and the menu covers pizzas, sandwiches and big salads.

The place serves lunch and dinner, with the dining area offering pleasant views of the quiet street. But the bar remains open as late as 2 a.m.

Owners Bob Wareham and Mark Brindle, who also own Old Northeast Pizza next door, purchased the tavern five years ago from previous owners Dan Soronen and Sarah Potter.

“It just had a great feel,” Wareham says. “The neighborhood’s great and most of our customers are regulars. It’s a fun, good feel.”

Manager Matty Nigriny agrees. “It’s the classic tavern and people love it,” he says. “I still have people come in and tell me they’ve lived in St. Pete their entire lives and never knew this place even existed.”

The building was developed in 1925 and has been home to many businesses: bar for servicemen during World War II, the N & L Diner, Ambrosia, a dance studio, a yoga studio, a convenience store and laundromat.

Nigriny talked about the qualities that distinguish the Old Northeast Tavern and make it welcomed in this residential area.

Q: What sets it apart from other restaurants and pubs?

A: I would say the menu. It’s very unique, not the typical pub fare, and nothing is more than $10.

Q: The most popular item?

A: The crab cake is probably the most popular item, and it’s a very healthy menu overall. Definitely different.

 Q: How’s business?

 A: Business is great. The only problem I have is that I work too much.

Q: Do you see more tourists or regular customers?

A: Ninety-eight percent of our business is regular customers.

 Q: Any notable visitors?

A: We get a couple of the ballplayers [from the Tampa Bay Rays]. They come here because it’s quiet and nobody bothers them.

Q: Why do people keep coming back?

A: It’s off the beaten path, but once you find the place, you fall in love with it. Once you come in here and hang out and eat and meet the staff, it’s pretty much automatic that you’re going to be a regular visitor.

Originally published on Patch.com in March 2011

Copyright 2011