SASSY CAT CLUB CAFE OPENING FOR ADOPTIONS IN BRANDON

By Libby Hopkins

so we won.”

As the Florida Strawberry Festival continues to grow each year, it also wants to be accessible for all families. This year, it is debuting a new program called Special Smiles Day, which will be held on Friday, March 3 from 9 a.m.-12 Noon. “The Special Smiles Day has been generously sponsored by the Rotary Club of Plant City,” said Kyle Robinson. “This unique event is reserved for celebrating and serving our most treasured guests in a safe, fun and sensory considerate environment. All Special Smiles attendees and one companion will be admitted for free, and entry is at gate five. We want to keep this going forever!”

Both Robinson and Davis hope that this year’s festival will be wonderful for all who attend. “We pray before every meeting at the festival, and we pray for safety,” Davis said. “We pray for good weather, and we pray that everyone who comes to the festival has the best experience ever and they will join us year after year.” The Florida Strawberry Festival runs from Thursday, March 2 through Sunday, March 12. For more information, visit www.flstrawberryfestival.com.

Nikki Smith worked as a veterinary technician for 30 years, but once she experienced her first cat cafe, the dream of the Sassy Cat Club Cafe was born.

“I saw my first cat cafe about three years ago in Ft. Myers while my husband was working in the area,” Smith said, “He turned to me and said, ‘This is what you should do.’ The idea slowly grew on me, and when I decided to retire from working as a veterinary technician for 30 years, this idea became my new passion.”

Smith and the Sassy Cat Club Cafe will ofer a place where people can relax and experience animal therapy while helping to enrich the lives of the fosters in their care. The Sassy Cat Club Cafe hopes to adopt every cat in its care and find them a forever home. Smith will be partnering with A Kitten Place, a local Brandon cat charity, to find fosters and adoptable cats. In addition, Sassy Cat Club Cafe serves guests by providing a place for them to enjoy the company of cats in a relaxing and caring environment.

“A visit to a cat cafe helps you slow down and enjoy relaxing with the cats,” Smith said.

Cat cafes are essential parts of the community, as they are not only beneficial to kittens but to families as well. In order to help defray the costs of housing and caring for the adoptees, there is

By Meghan Reyes

a small fee to access the cat lounge to spend time with, interact with and provide enrichment for the wonderful felines. For one hour access to the cat lounge, there is a general admission fee of $15 per adult. Children under 2 years old are admitted free of charge.

The cafe will provide cofee, tea, hot chocolate, cupcakes and cookies from Moreno Bakery.

“Through a partnership with A Kitten Place rescue, we help save lives and provide an interactive experience for potential adopters and animal lovers alike,” Smith said. “This partnership benefits both the human and animal communities.”

The Sassy Cat Club Cafe is located in Oak Park Plaza at 735 W. Lumsden Ave. in Brandon and will is open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m.6 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m.-8 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Reservations can be made on its website, https://sassycatclubcafe. com/. In addition, walk-in reservations are welcome as space allows.

Blue Compass RV

Kicks Of Nationwide

Rebrand Redesign

With Tampa Location

Blue Compass RV, one of the nation’s largest providers of sales, service and protection products to the recreational vehicle market, celebrated its recent rebrand with a ribbon-cutting and beginning a series of store transitions throughout 2023, kicking of with the rebrand of Blue Compass RV Tampa (previously RV One Superstores Tampa). Each store will receive both an interior and exterior upgrade to boast the new name and logo of Blue Compass RV. Customers will be treated to an elevated store experience that directly reflects the Blue Compass RV brand. To learn more about Blue Compass RV, please visit www.bluecompassrv.com.

Repco Pest Control Ofers Commercial And Home Services repcopest.com for additional information.

Repco Lawn & Ornamental Pest Control has been providing residential and commercial pest control services for over 25 years.

It is dedicated to providing a great service that protects your property from roaches, ants, rodents, termites and more. Call Repco on 813-854-5412 or visit its website at www.

McCullagh & Scott Completes Executive Park

McCullagh & Scott, a complete design/ build developer and general contractor with over 30 years of serving the state of Florida, recently completed the Bell Shoals Executive Park in Riverview. The executive ofces are home to many new businesses, including Advanced Gynecology of Tampa Bay, Kids’ Corner Pediatrics and Family Practice Center of Brandon. McCullagh & Scott provides its clients with many diferent construction services that are involved with a commercial project, and its high-quality team of professionals provide the support and assistance needed to bring the results its clients want. To find out more, visit its website at www.mccullaghandscott.com or call 813621-7777.

D-BAT South Shore Ofers Topnotch Sports Training

D-BAT South Shore in Ruskin was recently purchased by Cono and Cecelia Liguori and is the area’s premier indoor baseball, softball and all-sport athletic training facility. It has multiple pitching machines, batting cages and pitching lanes for personal or team use. Its instructors ofer top-notch sport training with today’s professional-grade tech to individuals and groups. The pro shop is stocked with the newest baseball and softball gear and apparel. D-BAT South Shore also runs both skilled and fun camps, birthday and ofce parties. D-BAT South Shore is located at 351 30th St. NE in Ruskin, for more information visit its website at https://dbatsouthshore.com/ or call 813-645-3228.

La Septima Celebrating 28 Years Of Serving Delicious Food

Popular family-owned restaurant, La Septima first started in February 1995 and is now celebrating its 28-year anniversary. Owned by the Fernandez family, the unfussy restaurant has become a staple in the community for serving its delicious Cuban-fusion cuisine and recently for its amazing $39.95 family meals. La Septima is located at 702 W. Lumsden Rd. in Brandon in the La Viva Plaza. Visit its website at www.

COMING SOON MARCH 2-12

laseptimacafe.com or call 813685-0502 for additional details.

Bryan Hindman Electric

Celebrates Nine Years Serving Te Community

Bryan Hindman Electric is celebrating nine years serving the community. “I can’t believe we started out of our living room, boy have we grown,” said owner Bryan Hindman. The business provides exceptional work by licensed, experienced and devoted electricians in the Ruskin, Apollo Beach, Riverview, Brandon, FishHawk and wider Tampa Bay areas. Whether it’s replacing a panel for insurance purposes or adding recessed lights, it can service your every need. Contact Bryan Hindman Electric by calling 813-672-4084 or visiting its website at www.bryanhindmanelectric.com.

Dr. Darcy Bryan Joins Women’s Care In Lithia

Dr. Darcy Bryan, MD, PPA is a physician at Women’s Care in Lithia and a diplomat of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Bryan completed an OB-GYN residency at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California and a medical doctorate from the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. As part of a Galloway Fellowship, Dr. Bryan completed a gynecologic oncology rotation at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She is a fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and holds certifications in total laparoscopic hysterectomy and pelvic floor prolapse reconstruc-

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BUSINESS COLUMN CONTINUED...............FROM PG 25

tion. She is afliated with both St. Joseph’s Hospital-South and Brandon Regional Hospital. Her ofce is located at 16301 FishHawk Blvd., Ste. 102. Please call 813-530-4181 for appointment information or visit www.womenscareobgyn.com.

Latitudes Tours Offers Small-group Bus Tours

Latitudes Tours is now ofering private small-group bus tours. Don’t wait for public transportation, a hired car and forget carpooling. Take a small-group bus tour on Latitudes Tours’ air-conditioned bus to whatever destination you choose. Fifteen passengers can sit comfortably in the round so that they can enjoy each other’s company, and there is ample storage for bags, beach gear, shopping and more. Need an airport shuttle? It can pick up or drop of 15 people with luggage to Tampa International, Sarasota Bradenton International and St. Pete-Clearwater International airports. For more information and pricing, visit its website at https://latitudestours. com/, email info@latitudestours.com or call 813-641-1311.

Olive And Grace Ofers Custom Permanent Jewelry

Olive and Grace ofers permanent, welded jewelry custom-sized to fit your wrist, neck or ankle. After selecting the chain, trained Olive and Grace staf perfect the fit and weld the metal to create your claspfree bracelet, necklace or anklet. Olive and Grace has appointments available at Karma Yoga and is also ofering private parties, girls night outs, bachelorette parties, birthdays and more. To book an appointment, visit its website at www.oliveandgracefl.com or call owner Ashly Thielke at 813-603-6865.

Blu Indigo Spa & Wellness Celebrates

New Owners With A Ribbon-cutting Blu Indigo Spa & Wellness hosted a ribbon-cutting with the Valrico FishHawk Chamber of Commerce to celebrate its new owners, Drs. Keith and Helen Tong, DNM. Located in the Sprouts plaza at 3339 Lithia Pinecrest Rd. in Valrico, it ofers a wide variety of spa, massage and wellness services, including IV, fillers and

By Jenny Bennett

medical aesthetic services under the direction of Dr. Prudhvi Raja Karumanchi. For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit https://bluindigospa. com/ or call 813-651-3258.

Impact Galentine’s Tea And Fashion Show

Impact will be hosting a Galentine’s Tea on Saturday, February 25 from 10 a.m.-12 Noon at New Hope United Methodist Church, located at 213 N. Knights Ave. in Brandon. A fashion show by Lena Maxey Marketplace will be included, and there will be a variety of raffles and silent-auction items to win. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased on Impact’s website at www.whatisimpact.com/events. For more information, email Angie Kagey at akagey@whatisimpact.com or call 813-2649368. Sponsorship opportunities are available.

Citizens Bank & Trust Recognized As Fastest-growing Community Bank In Tampa Bay Citizens Bank & Trust was recognized in a recent Tampa Bay Business Journal article as the fastest-growing community bank in Tampa Bay for 2022. According to the article, Citizens Bank & Trust is the region’s fourth-largest community bank and has more than tripled in size over the last decade. “We are extremely honored for our growth to be recognized by the Tampa Bay Business Journal,” said Greg Littleton, president and CEO of Citizens Bank & Trust. “As a community bank starting our 103rd year, we are thankful to our board of directors and team members who provide local decision making and outstanding customer service, and who have also played a pivotal role in the overall growth of the bank.” Citizens Bank & Trust currently operates 13 ofces in Polk County with additional locations in Dade City, Valrico and Plant City.