THE TONY BARONI TEAM CELEBRATES AN AWARD WINNING YEAR

The Tony Baroni Team with Keller Williams was named Real Estate Team of the Year by Tampa Bay Real Producers at the Agents Choice Awards in March. The Tony Baroni Team was also named one of Real Trends’ top five teams in the state after serving 300 families in the last year.

The Tony Baroni Team helped hundreds of clients buy and sell their homes while facing the challenging increase in interest rates. His team focused on the basics of real estate to continue to close on sales across Florida.

The team also started a new Homeward program, called ‘Sell Before You List,’ for their clients.

“We’re a preferred partner with Homeward, so, essentially, we’re always brainstorming what we can do to help with new, innovative products that aren’t out there. So, we’ve been in that process. We helped develop it,” explained Tony Baroni.

The program allows homeowners to get 88 percent of their value for their homes before they put it on the market and allows them to reap any additional monetary benefits made when they close.

“We’re one of only two teams in the country right now who have this, and

By Lily Belcher

we just rolled that out [on May 10]. We’re really excited about that,” said Baroni.

Lead buyer specialist Kate Conroy served 120 of these families by helping them find a house that suited their needs, and lead listing agent Craig Kellner helped 90 families sell their homes. The Tony Baroni Team only has seven agents but around a dozen people that support those agents.

“We have a pretty small team from a sales perspective. We really want to create mega agents within our team. We want them to do extremely well and make good money,” said Baroni. While his agents help families buy and sell their homes, Baroni and his team have continued to host the Call In To Win program.

The team recently gave away a Don Cesar spa day for Mother’s Day and donated $2 per caller to A Kid’s Place to give back to the community.

The Tony Baroni Team has given over $100,000 to a nonprofit called KW Cares since 2007. They have raised over $20,000 to local charities through their Call In To Win program and other contests.

For more information on the Tony Baroni Team, please visit their website at www.tonybaroni.com.

LOCAL RESTAURANTS OFFER ALLERGY-FRIENDLY MENUS IN THE AREA

Imagine going to a restaurant with a dairy allergy and ordering a burger. When the burger is delivered, it has no bun, no condiments, only lettuce and a patty. What happened? The restaurant wasn’t trained in food allergies or sensitivities, so to be safe it took most of the food away. Anyone who struggles with food allergies and sensitivities understands this scenario all too well.

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America states that in America, as of 2021, 16 million adults and 4 million children have food allergies. When so many Americans deal with food allergies/sensitivities, it can be di f cult for families to know how to navigate restaurants safely.

Thankfully, many large chain restaurants provide allergy menus when requested and bring out a manager to discuss safe options. But not all restaurants are created equal in dealing with food allergies. It’s important to find a restaurant that trains its sta f , waiters/waitresses and cooks in properly dealing with food and teaching knowledge of whether something would be cross-contaminated or not.

In the Brandon/Valrico/Riverview area, there are a few tasty options to eat at that are fairly allergy-conscious, such as:

Vine Vegan, Mellow Mushroom and Cali.

Danielle Stevens opened Vine Vegan five months ago as a labor of love. That is, the love of sharing vegan, plant-based fare. For those who su f er from gluten, dairy or egg sensitivity/allergy, there are many options to choose from on the menu. Vine Vegan has a 3,000-squarefoot location and is a fast-casual setting with dinein and carry-out options, all within a family-friendly environment.

Justine

Grossberg, Vine Vegan’s restaurant manager, stated that “the restaurant tries to take every precaution to avoid potential allergens when a customer informs of an allergy.” Employees clean the cooking surface, change gloves and write the allergen on the ticket. Then a binder of every ingredient is reviewed with the customer and a manager comes out to discuss food options.

Vine Vegan is located in the Brandon Crossroads Plaza at 2080 Badlands Dr. in Brandon. It is open Sunday to Monday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tuesday to Thursday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.; and Friday to Saturday, 8 a.m.-9 p.m. For Vine Vegan’s menu, vis- it www.vinevegan. com.

Another allergy-conscious restaurant is Mellow Mushroom.

Mellow Mushroom is a sit-down chain restaurant that has been around for the last 40 years. It primarily serves stone-baked pizza, but also sandwiches, calzones and even vegan/vegetarian food. The franchise focuses on nutrition and makes sure to source healthy ingredients into the food it serves. Mellow Mushroom’s menu indicates what is gluten-free or dairy-free for those with gluten or dairy allergies, making it fairly easy to determine what is safe to eat. There is also a whole section of the menu dedicated to gluten-free options. If there are other allergies/sensitivities to food, there is a feature on Mellow Mushroom’s website with which

By Ashley Abene

customers can select an allergen and then see their food options.

Mellow Mushroom is located at 10959 Causeway Blvd. in Brandon in the Causeway Shoppes plaza. Its hours are Sunday to Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m., and Friday to Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. To see Mellow Mushroom’s menu, visit www.mellowmushroom.com.

Cali is also an allergy-friendly option to choose from in the area. In 2005, the first Ciccio-Cali restaurant chain opened in Florida. Cali is a family-owned-and-operated chain with four locations in the Tampa Bay area: Tampa Palms, St. Petersburg, South Tampa and Brandon.

The Cali restaurants aim to provide ingredients that are antibiotic-free and hormone-free. Its menu ranges from rice bowls to wraps and pizza. Cali has a fast-casual setting with dine-in and carry-out options. Finding allergy-friendly foods is easy with this menu. Gluten-free or dairy-free options are indicated on the main menu. But if a customer has a soy, peanut, tree nut or egg allergy, the staff are often able to suggest options to eat.

Cali is located at 11230 Sullivan St. in Riverview, near Winthrop Village. Its hours are Monday to Thursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; and Saturday to Sunday, 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m. To see Cali’s menu, visit https://www.eatatcali.com/.

Although these three restaurants are allergy-friendly, each place has indicated that cross-contamination of allergens can occur while cooking, so customers to be aware of that when ordering food.

Florida Trade Academy Hires Chief Academic Ofcer

Florida Trade Academy (FTA), a groundbreaking program offering trade education programs for career seekers and job changers, has named longtime higher education leader Lynette Barcewicz as its first chief academic advisor. In this newly created role, Barcewicz is helping advance FTA’s mission to close the skill gap that has become increasing prevalent in the U.S. and to become a reliable resource for talent at a time when millions of jobs remain unfilled. For more information, visit its website at www.floridatradeacademy.org.

Teachers Wanted

Southshore Charter Academy, a tuition-free K-8 public charter school, located at 11667 Big Bend Rd. in Riverview, is hiring for open positions for the 202324 school year. For more information, to find a link to career opportunities or if you are interested in helping it to support students in striving for scholarship and success, visit its website at www.southshorecharter. org.

Dream Tat Big Publishing Celebrates

Relaunch

Owned by Octoryia Robinson, Dream That Big Publishing is a Tampa Bay-based, royalty-free, collaborative self-publishing company that provides mentorship, workshopping, writing and publishing services along with resources to authors and aspiring authors. The team at Dream That Big Publishing are dedicated and talented professionals who have the skills and tools to awaken and inspire nonfiction writers. Its ofce is located at 100 S. Ashley Dr., Ste. 600 in Tampa and is open 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Additional information can be found on its website at www.dreamthatbigpublishing.com, by following on Facebook at Dream That Big Publishing or by calling 813-708-7167.

Home Care For Te 21st Century Now

Available

Home Care for the 21st Century is a woman-owned business located locally in Hillsborough County. It aims to keep our seniors safer and at home longer by ofering a wide range of services that match clients’ needs, including companion care, skilled nursing care, transportation, medical equipment, telehealth monitoring, dementia care and more. Families will enjoy peace of mind knowing that loved ones are safe and can maintain their independence in the comfort of their own home, and costs are significantly reduced compared with alternatives.

At Home Care for the 21st Century, you are not just a number, you are part of the family. Visit its website at www.homecareforthe21stcentury.com or call 833-786-2121 for additional information.

Vogt Insurance Advisory

Kevin Vogt, owner of Vogt Insurance Advisory, provides his clients with an educational experience that leaves them more informed about health insurance. This leads to the discovery of the coverage options that best fit their needs, budget and lifestyle. Additional information about Vogt Insurance Advisory can be found on its website at www.vogtinsuranceadvising.us, on Facebook at Vogt Insurance Advisory and by calling 813-708-8070.