SRQ Magazine | Living Lakewood Spring 2023

LIVING LAKEWOOD

SPRING FARMS

BLUMENBERRY FARMS

HUNSADER FARMS

GAMBLE CREEK FARMS

MIXON FRUIT FARMS

BLUMENBERRY FARMS WELCOMES SPRING PRODUCE

LIVING LAKEWOOD

Expanding Our Footprint

As Lakewood Ranch continues to grow, so too does the need for quality convenient medical care. That is why we are happy to announce Lakewood Ranch Medical Center will be undergoing a $120 million expansion project on its campus starting later this year. This will be Phase 1 of a multi-phase plan for facility expansion to take place during the next several years. Construction of a new five story, 170,000 sq. ft. tower will add 60 patient beds and allow for growth of key ancillary departments ranging from Pharmacy and Laboratory to Education, Food and Nutrition Services and Pre-Admission Testing. The tower will also include shell space to add two more floors for an additional 60 patient beds and expand other areas as the hospital continues to grow its services and capabilities.

We are happy to have been the hospital of choice for many Lakewood Ranch residents for nearly 20 years and look forward to meeting the growing healthcare needs of this great community for many more. Thank you for choosing Lakewood Ranch Medical Center – let’s do well together.

ANDY GUZ LAKEWOOD RANCH MEDICAL CENTER | Chief Executive Officer

The Ranch Keeps Growing

Lakewood Ranch is growing. Everyday more homes, more families, more wonderful places and spaces sprout from the lively soil. But it’s not just people that are sprouting up here in the Ranch, our region is blessed with a wealth of small and boutique farms, run by passionate and iconoclastic farmers. Floridians may love Publix, and at the Ranch we love our Fresh Market as well, but if you want to visit the men and women who bring green, leafy life out of the soil then it’s just a hop and a skip away to the North, East and South. In this edition of Living Lakewood we visit the organic innovators at Bluemenberry Farms, the long-time locals at Hunsader Farms, the sustainability leaders at Gamble Creek Farms, and the orange juice mini-empire of Mixon Farms-and we hope that you and your family will follow in the footsteps of our writers and photographers and visit these welcoming and warm local places yourselves. Wear comfortable shoes, and go for a walk where your food grows, it brings comfort and joy to an otherwise often over-busy daily life. We also explore the ins and outs of the cyclist lifestyle, and then takes you to the pizza Mecca of Atria where you can put the delicious calories right back on that you might have burned turning the pedals of your bicycle. The edition is dedicated to enjoying the fresh air and outside pleasures that will bring you back in touch with the nature that so richly surrounds the Ranch. We’ll be seeing you, outside!

WES ROBERTS

SRQ MEDIA | Executive Publisher

Below: CEO Andy Guz of Lakewood Ranch Medical Center and Gamble Creek Farm and Produce Market.

FEATURES

Rooted in Farming, 6 Residents of Lakewood Ranch and surrounding areas are fortunate to live near local farms dedicated to providing high-quality farm products that not only feed the community but also raise awareness about the vital role that farms play in all aspects of life.

Trailblazer | Get Out and Ride, 14

For local cycling enthusiasts, the Lakewood Ranch area has something great to offer around every twist and turn. From picturesque communities to a plethora of natural beauty

and challenging terrains, Lakewood Ranch provides a fun and adventurous way to stay active,and fit–and make new friends, too.

Trailblazer | A Slice of Heaven, 23

Fans of this food-focused, family-run restaurant have been hungry for more of Atria’s thoughtful cuisine, and have urged owners Jim and Weyli Angus to expand. Instead of opening up new locations, the Angus family met this demand by maximizing their current space and opening for dinner.

Above: Atria Café’s foray into housemade gourmet pizzas, photo by Wyatt Kostygan. Cover: Spring blooms with succulent produce at Blumenberry Farms, photo by Wes Roberts.

LIVING LAKEWOOD

This page: Blumenberry specializes in cultivating around 80 types of fresh and delicious vegetables.

WRITTEN BY LAURA PAQUETTE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN / WES ROBERTS

Rooted in Farming

Springtime Produce

EVERY DAY, PEOPLE ENJOY THE FRUITS OF FARMERS’ LABOR, BUT MOST PEOPLE KNOW LITTLE ABOUT THE BEHIND-THE-SCENES OF FARM LIFE AND PRACTICES. WITHOUT AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THEIR FOOD IS GROWN, CONSUMERS MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPRECIATE THE EFFORT THAT GOES INTO PRODUCING NUTRITIOUS AND TASTY PRODUCTS. HOWEVER, RESIDENTS OF LAKEWOOD RANCH AND SURROUNDING AREAS ARE FORTUNATE TO LIVE NEAR LOCAL FARMS DEDICATED TO PROVIDING HIGH-QUALITY FARM PRODUCTS THAT NOT ONLY FEED THE COMMUNITY BUT ALSO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE VITAL ROLE THAT FARMS PLAY IN ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE.

Blumenberry Farms

Opened in 1995 by owners Mitch and Colleen Blumenthal, Blumenberry Farms is a certified-organic farm in Sarasota. Blumenberry grows around 80 types of vegetables, like varieties of romaine lettuce, beets and kale. They also raise chickens and ducks to provide fresh eggs to consumers. “All the manure from the chickens and ducks is used to create an on-farm fertilizer,” says Mitch, “which helps improve the soil quality and yields perfect plants.” These crops are sold to consumers as part of Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) boxes. Customers pay an up-front investment in the farm, then receive a CSA box of produce grown by the farm. They can choose to order boxes on a seasonal, biweekly, monthly or weekly basis, and non-CSA members can also purchase boxes. Consumers can choose to customize their boxes based on produce availability, or opt for a box of items chosen by the farm. The boxes are dropped off for consumers to pick up at seven locations across Sarasota-Manatee, and include surprises like fresh flowers. For people who prefer dining out, Blumenberry supplies products to Crop Juice, Meliora, Indigenous Restaurant and Fork & Hen SRQ. “I’m a strong believer in knowing your farmer, and it’s nice to have a relationship with my customers,” adds Mitch. 2151 Dog Kennel Rd., Sarasota, FL, 941-5049474, blumenberryfarms.eatfromfarms.com.

This page: With its countryside atmosphere, Hunsader Farms is a welcome retreat for visitors of all ages.

Hunsader Farms

Located in Bradenton, Hunsader Farms has been in the Hunsader family since 1967. David and Kim Hunsader own the farm, where their daughter, Rachel Hunsader-Sliker, is a manager. Beloved for holiday events like the Pumpkin Festival, the farm offers fun activities all year, including a petting zoo, a tiny town for kids and farm games. Passionate about debunking the mysteries of farming, Rachel runs buggy rides around the farm most Saturdays. “People don’t understand how expensive farming can be,” she says, “and there’s more to it than just beans and water and fertilizer.” During the buggy tours, she explains the need for tractors, labor and water for the crops, many of which can be harvested as part of U-pick programs.

Visitors can pick fruits and vegetables like strawberries, tomatoes, eggplants, beans, peppers and peas depending on the season. Beginning in March, they can also frolic in fields of sunflowers, zinnias and wildflowers which they can take home as a souvenir. For the ultimate immersive country experience, Hunsader is home to a KOA campground, with sites for RVs, tents and cabins. At the farm market, produce grown onsite is sold along with other local products, like honey that could come from the same bees pollinating the farm’s plants. “I love that the public can see the farming experience,” adds Rachel, “and even if the town surrounds us, we’ll always try to keep Hundsader country.”

5500 C.R. 675 Bradenton, FL, 941-504-9474, hunsaderfarms.com.

Gamble Creek Farms

Ed Chiles, the former CEO of Chiles Hospitality and owner of Gamble Creek Farms in Parrish, opened the farm in 2013. Supplying to consumers as well as Sand Bar, Beach House and Mar Vista, all Chiles Hospitality restaurants, Gamble Creek is committed to sustainable farming practices. “Wherever we find waste streams on the farm, like fuel or fertilizer, we thoughtfully find ways to give it a second or third life,” says farm manager Zach Rasmussen. For example, water released by air conditioning units is used to irrigate the banana garden. The farm also trucks all the food waste and compostable products from the Chiles restaurants back to the farm to be used as compost. In all the farming practices, the goal is to use products that will be completely consumed by the plants, avoiding runoff and the need to purchase expensive fertilizers.

These sustainable techniques maintain competitive prices for the farm’s products, like specialty lettuces, candy cane beets and sungold tomatoes. Along with produce, shoppers at the Gamble Creek Farm market can purchase premium pork products, baked goods and more. The bacon, from pigs raised by Toffer Jacob, is so popular that people drive an hour to Parrish to purchase it. Due to the high-quality of the soil, Gamble Creek’s produce is so nutritious that, through a partnership with FreshPoint, it’s a staple on the menu for patients at the Sarasota Memorial Hospital cancer center. For Rasumussen, the cyclical nature of growing nutrient-dense crops expresses itself in a myriad of ways. “In supporting local farms, you support the local farm community, decrease your carbon footprint and consume more flavorful food, which also has a powerful impact on your gut microbiome and your overall health.”

14950 Golf Course Rd, Parrish, FL, 941-548-4805, gamblecreekfarms.com.

This page: At Gamble Creek Farms, farm manager Zach Rasmussen and his team do everything they can to keep farming practices sustainable.

Mixon Fruit Farms

Husband and wife Janet and Dean Mixon own Mixon Fruit Farms in Bradenton. Dean’s family founded the farm in 1939, starting with a roadside fruit stand and supplying downtown Bradenton hotels with fresh produce. In 2006, Janet and Dean took over the farm, expanding it to include orange grove tram rides, a larger deli, a children’s area and venues for weddings and other events. Mixon is also home to a wildlife rescue, where visitors can meet and greet creatures like alligators, as well as a large koi pond. In terms of crops, the farm specializes in oranges, tropical fruits and organic bamboo, a Mixon-family favorite.

Visitors of all ages can enjoy the hour-long tram tours through the orange groves. “We go through the grove, where we have old equipment, and discuss the farm’s history, giving people an idea of how the fruit used to be picked,” says Janet. Eager to experiment with different crops, Janet leads visitors out into the fields to pick exotic produce like star fruits. The farm offers U-pick programs for other fruits, like grapes. No day at Mixon is complete without trying the orange juice-infused ice cream, a fan-favorite among visitors, many of whom came to the farm as children and now bring their grandkids to experience it. “Dean and I both lost spouses to cancer before ending up together,” adds Janet, “and our goal with the farm became to make memories, because when you lose a spouse you realize how important the memories are.” 2525 27th St E, Bradenton, FL, 941-748-5829, mixon.com.

This page: Visitors to Mixon Fruit Farms can enjoy many products, like fresh juice, from the farm store.

Get Out and Ride

FOR LOCAL CYCLING ENTHUSIASTS, the Lakewood Ranch area has something great to offer around every twist and turn. From picturesque communities to a plethora of natural beauty and challenging terrains, Lakewood Ranch provides a fun and adventurous way to stay active, and fit–and make new friends, too. We asked the experts from three local shops–Ryder Bikes, Trek Bicycle Store Bradenton and Village Bikes, Lakewood Ranch–for their take on best biking practices in the area. We hope their advice gets you behind the handlebars, up on the saddle and on the road wheelie soon.

WRITTEN BY BARBIE HEIT |

PHOTO BY WYATT KOSTYGAN

TRAILBLAZER | HIT THE ROAD THIS SPRING WITH ADVICE FROM THREE LAKEWOOD RANCH BICYCLE STORES.

Above: Sarasota Cycling Club hits the road.

TELL US ABOUT SOME OF THE BIKE CLUBS IN THE AREA? PAUL TOBIO, RYDER

BIKES: We have some great bicycle clubs in the area. The main clubs are the Sarasota Manatee Bicycle Club, Village Idiots Cycling Club and Gulf Coast Velo. All of these clubs have different speed levels that help riders join group cycling. There are also a few subgroups that sprout out from these clubs – normally a group that has common speed/handling abilities that add a few more ride options weekly. If there are riders looking to get into racing, we have a few clubs that are focused more on getting people ready to race and help with tactics–a few of these are the Sarasota Cycling Club and Alpha Cycling.

CHRIS LEVINS, VILLAGE BIKES: There are several. There is Village Idiots which was started by Village Bikes about 12 years ago, but probably the most diverse bike club is the SarasotaManatee Bike Club. They have rides that cover most ability levels from hybrid to road bike rides, and also an e-bike category. DEAN JONES, TREK BICYCLE: For those interested in off-road trails, the Swamp Mountain Bike Club is a great one. The biggest bike clubs in this area are the Sarasota-Manatee Bike Club and the Village Idiots. These clubs offer weekly rides and special events, such as the Gulf Coast Cyclefest.

and take Golf Course Rd. to Rye and Rutland Rd. to the Fish Camp on 64. Many of the new communities allow for new routes to pop up as well – Waterside and Del Webb to name a few.

TREK BICYCLE: Some of my favorite routes for riders in the Lakewood Ranch area are the new development roads east of White Eagle Blvd. to Bournside as well as riding south down Lorraine. These routes are well suited for any level of rider as the bike lanes are big and there are little to no cars to avoid.

MEET THE PROS

PAUL TOBIO

Owner, Ryder Bikes 5275 University Parkway #135, Bradenton, FL, 941-351-0000, RyderBikes.com

CHRIS LEVINS

General Manager, Village BikesLakewood Ranch 8111 Lakewood Main St across from the fountain, 941.388.0550, villagebikes.com

DEAN JONES

Owner, Trek Bicycle Store Bradenton Lakewood Ranch 1849 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. Bradenton, FL, 941-243-3837, trekbicyclebradenton. com

WHAT ARE

YOUR FAVORITE ROUTES FOR VARIOUS LEVELS OF RIDERS IN THE LAKEWOOD RANCH AREA AND WHY?

VILLAGE BIKES: Wednesday Night Worlds, a Village Idiots group ride during the spring through fall after daylight savings because I get to mix it up with my friends. RYDER BIKES: There are so many great routes in the LWR area. Benderson Park is great for a casual ride or for people looking to do some interval training. LWR Blvd, Hidden River Trail, Lorraine Rd all provide an easy way to get 20-60 miles in. These roads all have large sidewalks for the casual rider and bike lanes on the roads to allow the road bikers to ride safely. People looking to go longer will add a northern section of Lakewood Ranch Blvd. over the Fort Hammer Bridge into Parrish

WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE ON THE BEST WAYS TO STAY HYDRATED DURING A LONG RIDE ON A HOT DAY? RYDER BIKES: This is one of the most important aspects of cycling that many people do not take into consideration. Hydration starts off the bike, by continuing to hydrate throughout the day. During the ride, a rider does not want to get dehydrated as this affects the reaction time to obstacles that may be in the roadway. For most people, a water bottle and holder on the bike are enough, some people will opt for a hydration pack that can carry more fluid. Additionally, water is normally not the best choice, but using an electrolyte replacement will provide better stamina for the rider. VILLAGE BIKES: In the heat of Florida you cannot just drink water when exercising. We recommend Skratch Labs hydration mix with your water to replace lost electrolytes. TREK BICYCLE: During a long ride on a hot day, the best way to stay hydrated is to pack as much water as you and your bike can hold. I also recommend biking jerseys with pockets for bottles to hold any additional water you might need. A good rule to follow is to drink 20 ounces of water every hour of your ride on a hot day.

WHAT SORTS OF COOL NEW GEAR ARE YOU RECOMMENDING? TREK BICYCLE:

There are all types of gear you can take with you riding but the gear I recommend the most is the newest brightest pair of daytime running lights, Garmin or other brand computers to track all sorts of ride data, and upgraded, stronger compound tires to give you a better ride with fewer flats. RYDER BIKES: We are seeing many riders moving toward Garmin GPS devices to record their rides. These allow the rider to look at performance metrics from their rides and chart progress across the various rides. This also allows for the rear radar light that can detect cars and communicate them to the rider—a real game changer as a rider. Additionally, clothing has come a long way to add comfort for the rider – padded shorts in both lycra and baggie versions, and jerseys that are cut longer in the back to not ride up and provide pockets to store nutrition.

VILLAGE BIKES: Probably the most gamechanging piece of gear in the last few years has been Garmin Varia Radar. The Varia alerts you when vehicles are coming up from behind on

your compatible computer. When combined with a mirror it gives you an increased spatial awareness needed on today’s roads.

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BIKES AND HOW A PERSON MIGHT CHOOSE BETWEEN THEM?

RYDER BIKES Bicycles have added a few more slices in types over the last few years. A consumer used to have the option of a cruiser, road, mountain or hybrid bike. Now there are additional options that take those four options and merge them to create a new riding experience—comfort hybrid, fitness hybrid, dual sport and flat bar road bikes to name a few. Choosing the right one can sometimes feel a little overwhelming and that is where the local shop comes to help. At Ryder Bikes, we ask how people are planning on riding, where they are going to ride and what kind of position on the bike they would like to be in–upright, leaning a little, leaning a lot–then provide a few choices. We have a great test ride area and want people to try a few bikes to feel the positioning. This allows the customer to make a great choice

and enjoy their cycling experience. VILLAGE BIKES: Purchasing from a reputable bike shop would be my first recommendation. Accessing a rider’s goals, what distances they are looking to ride, and if they have any previous injuries or limitations ( bad back, knees, etc.) is our job. These are all factors in choosing the right bike and many more. A good bike shop will be able to direct you to the right bike for your needs and provide continued service on the bike in the future. TREK BICYCLE: When it comes to choosing the bike a person might want, the type of riding is the deciding factor. The three main types of bikes are road, hybrid, and mountain. Road bikes are for riders looking to go longer distances at a faster pace, where they only ride on the street at a more aggressive riding position. Hybrid bikes are for more casual riders looking to ride on the road as well as light off-road trails and be comfortable doing it. Mountain bikes are for riders looking to ride through off-roads trails ranging from easy, flat trails through the woods to steep climbs and descents at fast paces. LL

Below: The Garmin Varia attaches to the bike and uses radar to detect cars approaching from behind. Whether you’re a novice or an expert rider, local shops like Village Bikes can help you find the perfect ride.

STEVE PADGETT STU HENDERSON

LET’S START OFF WITH A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELVES AND WHAT YOU DO AT FAWLEY BRYANT. STEVE PADGETT:

I’m one of the partners here. I oversee a lot of the scheduling, sta ng, contracts, overall project schedules and project management. I’ve been at Fawley Bryant since October 2001. Stu and I bought the company a little over five years ago. STU HENDERSON:

I’m a director of design and a partner at Fawley Bryant. I’ve been at the fi rm about 11 years, specifically in Lakewood Ranch for that amount of time. I moved down here from Erie, Pennsylvania for a di erent climate and I’ve been enjoying it ever since.

HOW DID THE FIRM FIND A HOME IN LAKEWOOD RANCH?

PADGETT: Long answer short, a partnership with SchroederManatee Ranch, Inc. (SMR). We

In Conversation

IN CONVERSATION ON GROWING LAKEWOOD RANCH WITH FAWLEY BRYANT

ARCHITECTS

INTERVIEW BY WES ROBERTS

EDITED BY BARBIE HEIT

were actually the architects for the SMR headquarters. So early on we were involved in conversations about long-term planning, what their vision was, and what they were trying to do. We were very much interested in what that was and what that meant for us, being in Manatee County, and then also Sarasota County. We moved our headquarters here in 2008 and SMR was a partner of ours in this building. So again, partners from the very beginning. And we did that for a lot of reasons: recruiting, bringing in people further south that maybe we couldn’t get from downtown Bradenton. Also, people from further north because we had more access to the interstate, being part of a planned development, and having access early on to things like educational projects. government projects and sports and recs. We did a lot of country

clubs, so that fit really nicely in our portfolio. It came down to people. Just having relationships with the people that had a big idea that we wanted to be a part of and could help out in any way possible.

CAN YOU SPEAK A BIT ABOUT RICK FAWLEY AND MIKE BRYANT AND HOW THEIR VISION ECHOES IN THE FIRM TODAY?

PADGETT: Rick Fawley was our original president. Mike Bryant was vice president. They are the founding fathers of Fawley Bryant. They both had their own individual firms in Manatee County. They came together to work on a project for Manatee High School. Partly, they were banding together to try and keep the outsiders out, and keep the insiders in. And they got the project that worked well and they stayed together.

So their partnership was born out of somewhat necessity but trying to keep local groups local. Rick was the community guy. He had all the relationships, he was out and about. Mike was really more of the business-minded guy, he was looking at the schedules and the budgets and the sta ng needs. I think Stu and I are very similar in personality to each of them. Probably a bit more of a blend than they were, but same kind of idea. Still, community is extremely important to us. We still work in this community and we’ve extended it from Lakewood Ranch to Manatee County, the city of Bradenton, Sarasota, the city of Sarasota, North Port, and now Wellen Park. So we’ve continued to build on those relationships over time. But a big part of that really was just knowing the right people, being someone you trust, someone you respect, and really

ABOUT THE PARTICIPANTS

STU HENDERSON

A graduate of The University of Cincinnati’s School of Design, Art, Architecture and Planning, Stu joined Fawley Bryant in 2011. A er moving from Erie, PA where he taught at Mercyhurst University for seven years, Stu returned to the field of architecture in the Bradenton/ Sarasota area. Stu plays a key role at Fawley Bryant with his ability to turn a conceptual vision into reality. His creative pragmatism has played a fundamental role in the completion of large-scale sports and education projects like IMG Academy’s West Campus and Binghamton University’s Baseball Complex. His 3D modeling and technological abilities allow clients and team members to visualize project considerations from a tangible and intuitive perspective. Stu currently serves as a Board Member for the Manatee Chamber of Commerce and Leadership Manatee’s 2019 class.

STEVE PADGETT

A Florida native and graduate of Clemson University, Steve joined Fawley Bryant in 2001 and has seen tremendous changes and growth in the region. Steve is engaged in the firm’s operations and helped fuel the initial development and expansion of Fawley Bryant’s sports division, including projects for the Pi sburgh Pirates, Atlanta Braves, IMG Academy, and Gatorade Sports Science Institute. He currently works with our government partners including the Sarasota County Administrative Center and Bradenton Area Convention Center to lead our region forward. Steve is an active project architect who is passionate about the development of our community. Steve serves as a Board Member for Gulf Coast Builders Exchange and Leadership Sarasota class of 2016.

bouncing o conversations about what could a place like Lakewood Ranch be—what are the things that you need to create identity?

AS A FIRM THAT’S BEEN A CONTRIBUTOR TO LAKEWOOD RANCH FROM THE EARLY CONCEPTUAL STAGES, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE ARCHITECTURAL PERSONALITY OF LAKEWOOD RANCH?

HENDERSON: I think they started with some guidelines on what they wanted to see out here, which was almost ranchy, and had sort of a natural stone look to it. That really evolved. It’s a beautiful community. There are some gems of buildings that are out here, and I really enjoy the diversity of the architectural styles that are here, from LECOM, the two buildings halfway up Lakewood Ranch Boulevard, to the lodge that we had done a couple of years ago, Rick Fawley’s last project. And I was proud to partner with him on the design of that, it’s beautiful and gets a lot of nice remarks. Now too, Waterside place. So it’s really an evolving, healthy, evolving community design-wise, from an architectural standpoint.

THE COMMUNITY IS IN A LOT OF WAYS STILL YOUNG. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES—YOURS AND OTHERS—THAT YOU THINK WILL STAND THE TEST OF TIME AND HELP BECOME THE SIGNATURE IMAGE THAT PEOPLE HAVE WHEN THEY VISIT LAKEWOOD RANCH?

HENDERSON: Some communities are blessed with the ability to have a blank slate and start with a strategy and a plan. Others have to evolve, and they fi nd these areas that people remember about the community. So here, I think the forward-thinking planning of

Lakewood Ranch, Main Street, Waterside, and then where maybe the medical component might be, the entertainment, and sports area. I really love the diversity of the buildings that are around. I think that Lecom, standing large on Lakewood Ranch Boulevard is memorable, and the beginning of a nice campus language. Premier sports, we had little, playful buildings out there. It’s not meant to be about the buildings at that point. And then the country clubs, that sort of identifies di erent areas and maybe even mindsets of going to the marble floors, a grand stair of the main clubhouse, the beautiful back area that we were lucky enough to participate in, to design the fi re pit area back there in the coverage area. And then, really I think the thing that people remember is the high quality of Waterside Place. The high quality of the thinking, the execution of the design, and the wonderful community spaces that come together. The quality of the landscaping and landscape architecture is just fantastic. And then the events and the vendors that come in there in addition to the shop owners, all very high quality. And I think that’s going to last for a very long time and people are going to enjoy going there. PADGETT: Yeah, I think one of the easy answers is, it’s grown so much and it’s been so successful in planning. They’ve created diverse buildings and developed neighborhoods that people will want to go to in Lakewood Ranch for those di erent experiences.

IN

TERMS OF YOUR OWN FIRM,

WHAT ARE THE AREAS THAT YOU FOCUS ON? HENDERSON: At Fawley Bryant, we started with the educational model. We did a lot of schools with Rick and Mike. We had a great relationship with the Pittsburgh Pirates,

ultimately IMG. We started to do some work there. Rick was the fi rst one to do some work there as well, so we took those relationships and really tried to drive those home. Lots of sports work, we do about 50% in sports. We do a lot of government, municipal work, and education is still something that we enjoy doing. Those are the primary markets, and about 50% lands in sports.

WHEN YOU BEGIN TO WORK WITH A CLIENT, WHAT IS THE PSYCHOLOGICAL PART OF THAT PROCESS LIKE? WHERE DO YOU FIND OUT WHAT THEY’RE LOOKING FOR WITH THEIR CREATIVITY?

HENDERSON: In a lot of ways, it’s a conversation. We’ll ask, what have you seen that you’ve liked? What would you like us to look at when we come to work with you? So you might get some insight there into what their perspective is in general. We try to fi nd out what the building should be and make sure that that works within budget. But in a lot of ways, we try to understand, the project may not be about the building. The project is about serving the clients, it’s about a backdrop for sports. So it’s not the place to spend money. We want to make sure we’re being very good stewards of the finances of the total project, not just the architectural component. So if it turns out that it’s a background building, as we call it, it may just have an interesting paint job. It’s not really about major architectural forms and glass and cavaliers, it may be about being simple and e cient and beautiful in that way.

PADGETT: I think a lot of it is just really what the image of the client wants. Some want to be conservative and they want to be a little bit conservative with their spending and some want to make a statement. They want a signature

building, they want that to attract them. But in all cases, it is their identity. So a lot of that conversation is, what do you want it to be?

ARE THERE ANY PARTICULAR ANECDOTES YOU COULD TELL US ABOUT WHERE YOU WERE ENGAGING WITH A CLIENT AND IT WAS AN ESPECIALLY EXCITING CONVERSATION THAT SPOKE TO THE CREATIVITY THEY WERE LOOKING FOR?

HENDERSON: At Fawley Bryant, we do work outside of the area as well. One of the benefits of doing that work outside of the area is we can bring that knowledge home, where it can be found in our projects to serve schools, which serve our kids. In government work, it serves everybody in the community. And then sports, it’s translating what we’ve done maybe in other areas, back into what we do here at home. We did have a client up in New York, where it was all about the cost, so we had to be very cost conscious. The client really was a visionary and wanted to push us in a lot of ways to do better work. In that case, it was fi nding the right solution fi rst. So material-wise, you may immediately think, “Well, marble’s too expensive” or “granite is too expensive,” but if it’s the right material for the qualities and properties of the job, then he would want that in the project. So we still were very good stewards of his money, but he did push us to expand our thinking, and serve the university more, and at one point, he said, “I think this composition needs a little more over here.” To which we replied, “Of course it does.” So we added to the program and kept the design going. So really, it has to be a beautiful project, and one of the projects that I’m most proud of for our company to pull together as we did and make it work.

FOR A LONG TIME NOW,

LAKEWOOD RANCH HAS BEEN ONE OF THE FASTESTGROWING COMMUNITIES. SUDDENLY, IT FEELS LIKE ALL OF FLORIDA IS GROWING LIKE LAKEWOOD RANCH. THE GROWTH IS AT A PACE NONE OF US COULD HAVE IMAGINED AFTER THE LAST TWO OR THREE YEARS. FROM WHAT YOU GUYS GET TO SEE IN TERMS OF FUTURE PLANNING, AND OPPORTUNITIES, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN AND HOW HAS TECHNOLOGY AFFECTED THINGS? PADGETT: Well, I think one of the benefits that we have is that with technology and remote work and other ways to collaborate, people can pretty much work where they want to be and not where they have to be. And I think this area’s been a major attraction for people that are getting out of areas that they don’t really want to be in, whether it’s because of family, because of weather, because of the job, or whatever it may be. So I think this has been a major attractor that’s been planned for 15 years. So right time, right place. And that’s given us a lot of flexibility and freedom with the work that we do. They’re public places in most cases. So sports work, government work, education, those are things that are going to support the people that live here. And that placed perfectly into our portfolio and the services we provide. So a little bit of a win-win.

HENDERSON: I’ll look at this from two sides. Our response to the technology and being more remote, it plays into our strengths that we had already started with anyway. So we had already started with teams and video conferencing and working internally with that software, we had already used virtual reality to communicate with our design team and our internal review of a building, to walk through it before it’s ever been built. That

translated into communicating with clients in much the same way. So it’s allowed us to have our fi rst fully-remote teammate and collaborator as a project manager, not just sort of an admin role where they might be able to do tasks but to communicate and work. And I think, by and large, that focus on the technology that we utilize and how we collaborate has, in a lot of ways, created better buildings. We’re able to visualize them, walk through them, and communicate about what we see, not just internally, but with our clients. So the technology of the buildings feels like it could always be more sustainable. We could do a lot more with that, but budgets and fi rst costs are very expensive for some of the sustainable materials that we would like to use. So in a lot of cases, they get removed. But I think that there are deeper, more fundamental strategies to sustainability that we employ that are not a green roof or photovoltaic, but they may have to do with energy conservation, they may have to do with building orientation and location. And all of that stu , again, is the overlay of technology that allows us to understand those technologies and those strategies before the buildings are even built.

HOW WILL THE BUILDINGS THAT ARE BUILT IN FLORIDA IN THE FUTURE LOOK DIFFERENT FROM THE ONES THAT WE ARE BUILDING TODAY BECAUSE OF DEMANDS FOR STORM SAFETY, ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS, AND CHANGES IN LIFESTYLE? HENDERSON: For architects, even though I tend toward the design side, the fi rst and most important thing we do is the safety of the occupants

of the building and around the building in our community. So we take that very seriously, and we would hope to continue to see more buildings like we are designing, which meet or exceed the wind code, obviously, but they’re both durable and beautiful. So I think as a foundational aspect of our company, making smart, beautiful spaces that are also very safe and sustainable is really what we’re after. PADGETT: I think inherently, safety is important, and the building code’s done a good job of keeping up with that. If you go back and look at the history of storms and see the damage that’s been done and what’s been saved, the newer buildings have survived incredibly well. The hard part is, there’s a cost to all that. Construction is increasingly more expensive. I think, on our side of it, what we’ve always done, but now with the cost, we’re increasingly looking for ways to be more e cient in everything. So it may be with the roofi ng materials, maybe the exterior materials, it may be just reducing unnecessary circulation. It’s trying to be as e cient as we can at the core of all design. And that saves money, that saves time, that gives people the ability to put more into the buildings that they really want. So it gives them opportunities to really explore di erent ideas. And I think the communication will give clients an opportunity to be part of that conversation and that discovery of the design, and then they have ownership in it. And it makes your job a whole lot easier. LL

WRITTEN BY KATE WIGHT | PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN

A Slice of Heaven

WITH ITS WELCOMING ATMOSPHERE AND ARTISANAL BREAKFAST AND LUNCH OFFERINGS, Atria Cafe in Lakewood Ranch has quickly become a local hotspot since it first opened in September 2020. Fans of this food-focused, family-run restaurant have been hungry for more of Atria’s thoughtful cuisine, and have urged owners Jim and Weyli Angus to expand. Instead of opening up new locations, the Angus family met this demand by maximizing their current space and opening for dinner. Now Atria Cafe is also open five evenings a week, serving up specialty pizzas done in their own singular style. In order to appreciate what makes Atria’s pizzas so noteworthy, it’s important to understand the restaurant’s philosophy about food and community in general.

TRAILBLAZER | JIM ANGUS OF ATRIA CAFE DISHES ON PUTTING TOGETHER THE PERFECT PIZZA

Above: Pizza at Atria Cafe bursts with flavor, starting from the sourdough crust all the way through the housemade sauce and fresh ingredients.

“Our whole goal for Atria is to build community through food and beverage in its simplest form. The vision for Atria was born because we want to connect people with what they eat and drink,” says Jim Angus. “We want to provide a really high-quality food and beverage experience.” This means the team at Atria crafts as much of their food inhouse as possible, from their scratch-made bread and pastries to their dressings and sauces to the syrups that flavor their coffee drinks. What they can’t make themselves, they source from carefully-selected purveyors. These values are exemplified in the pizzas at Atria.

The foundation of an Atria pizza is a sourdough crust made inhouse from the same starter that is used in the cafe’s signature sourdough bread.“We want to highlight the dough, which means that the sauce can’t be overpowering,” Angus explains. “We need something very simple, so I get really nice canned tomatoes from Italy and just add some good sea salt. Then we just take fresh basil and rip it up so it gets nice and fragrant. And that’s it. Between the flavor of the sourdough crust and the simplicity of the sauce, pretty much everything else that we put on top really has its own way to shine.”

Simplicity is the key word here. At Atria, the Neapolitan-inspired pizzas are dressed with classic ingredients that have been treated with the utmost care. “We find good products, but find ways to do a little bit extra to make them the best,” Angus says. “I tried, I want to say, eight different types of mozzarella until I found the one I was looking for. Even then, we take the extra step to cut it and let it drain overnight to remove excess moisture so it doesn’t sog out your pizza.”

That’s just one example of how Atria takes an ingredient from ordinary to extraordinary. They don’t stop at just using heirloom tomatoes; they char the skins with a flamethrower to enhance the flavor. They take a similar approach when preserving the shiitake, oyster, and cremini mushrooms that top their Fun Guy pizza by cooking the mixture down with a mushroom-infused oil.

“We’re getting good products in, but using our skills and our culinary prowess to take it up to another level,” Angus says. “It’s kind of ridiculous and over the top, but those are things I feel make our pizzas really special.” Atria Cafe is serving up pizza Tuesday through Saturday evenings between 5 pm and 8:30 pm. You can pick yours up to go, or dine in and check out their rotating list of natural and organic wines. Atria is also open daily from 8 am to 2:30 pm, offering up coffee drinks as well as a wide array of breakfast and lunch options. LL

This page: Atria Cafe is serving up pizza Tuesday through Saturday evenings between 5 pm and 8:30 pm.