So what made a successful fishing supplier branch off into the water treatment business? During his child's first pediatrician visit, Mike Scanio said the doctor told him something that astounded him. “He said don't give the baby any tap water,” Scanio recalled. “Only bottled water. Tap water will give the baby problems, especially while he's young. And that intrigued me to think that people are paying for their water. And I realized that if this is something that people are going to have to do more in the future, this could be a soluble business.” Puns aside, Scanio saw his curiosity through…

David Beltran's barbering career has taken him from Chicago, to Puerto Rico, to Tampa, and ultimately to Seminole Heights. And he says he's here to stay, despite the “for sale” sign on the small 1918 building perched right on the edge of Florida Avenue traffic. The Seminole Heights Barbershop is very much a going concern, and Beltran, who rents the building, said he's committed to staying in the neighborhood. If the building sells and Beltran is forced to move out, he said, “I'm gonna stay in the Seminole Heights area. I will find another place that I can rent in the area. I would like to …

The 5400 and 5500 hundred blocks of North Miami Avenue are arguably the prettiest in Seminole Heights, with their high concentration of refurbished bungalows. So it's only appropriate that a business situated at the end of this picturesque stretch be a renovated 1922 bungalow itself. Hair Performance Salon Suites could be mistaken for another one of Miami Avenue's oak-shaded homes, if not for the filled-in porch and business sign. Moreover, the salon opened in the early '80s, preceding the dawn of Seminole Heights' residential gentrification by a few years. Today the 2,271-square-foot house …

That's right, chicken and waffles. Like, on the same plate. Even piled on top of each other, with syrup AND hot sauce. That's how Tampa Luv Chicken and Waffles owner Takem Willis likes his. Don't tell us you haven't heard of this dish. As soul food dishes go, chicken and waffles has maintained a curiously sturdy hip quotient over an apparently long history. That's largely due to a couple of famous restaurants' virtual adoption the dish, Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles in Los Angeles, and the late Wells Supper Club in Harlem, according to this article from the Root.com. The origins of …

Tucked away along the North Armenia Avenue corridor of ethnic restaurants, and just a few doors down from the venerable Yummy House Chinese restaurant, Got Tea? is right at home as an Asian-style tea house. But it holds its own with a relatively substantial food menu, and a customer base that doesn't rely solely on ethnic niches. “Actually our customers are not just Asian,” said owner Chung Kuang. “We do have a lot of customers from America, Thailand, China, Vietnam.” In fact, Kuang estimates his customer base is only, “35 percent Asian.” Got Tea? 2202 W Waters Ave. 813-930-0470 www.got-tea.…

It's not that Ginger Morgan doesn't appreciate having her beauty salon right behind Starbucks. “We're very happy that (Starbucks) brought a lot of traffic that otherwise Seminole Heights would not have had,” she said. But the truth is, Ginger Snips Beauty Salon opened 16 years before the coffee mega chain staked its claim at Hillsborough and Central avenues. And with nearly four decades in the beauty industry, and living practically all her life in Seminole Heights, it's fair to say that Morgan is quite established in the neighborhood, thank you very much. Ginger Snips Beauty Salon 5407 N …

A Modern Line 6415 N Florida Ave.813-416-6835 What's new is old again. When Kaleidoscope for the Home co-owners David Call and Karen Brown recently decided to part ways, A Modern Line emerged. Brown took her half of the business, along with the name, and decided to relocate in downtown St. Petersburg. Call stayed behind at the 1922 storefront and converted the home furnishing décor stock to virtually all mid century modern, renamed the business A Modern Line, and re-opened Feb. 4. So far, Call said business is “Picking up. We're getting some hits on our Facebook page. We're definitely going …

Yummy House China Bistro brought swank upscale dining to East Hillsborough Avenue in June 2011. Three months later Country Pumpkin opened next door as a casual adjunct. Brought to us by chef Ramon Cabron Jr. and Yummy House co-owner John Zhao, the Pumpkin features a simple American diner menu, all day breakfasts, and a business day that ends after the lunch rush. Country Pumpkin Cafe 2620 E Hillsborough Ave., Suite B 813-237-1818 All day breakfasts: include steak and eggs, pork chop and eggs, omelets, french toast, hash browns, and a fruit plate. For lunch there's also sandwiches like reubens…

"It was anger, essentially," Anthony Touchstone said of his motivation to open Vivant House Inc. Touchstone started his antique dealing business at the Oldsmar Fleamarket. "The lady at the flea market," he said of a manager, "she wasn't a very nice flea market lady.” Unkind words were exchanged one day, and then and there Touchstone left the flea market in 2005 after a two year run. Driving home that day, Touchstone noticed an elderly couple tidying up the place at 909 W Hillsborough Ave., preparing to put the old two story house up for sale. “I'd probably drove by the place a thousand times…

Didn't that restaurant on Nebraska Avenue in Sulphur Springs used to be, until recently, a ... oh, it escapes us now. You know, that fried chicken chain with the name that makes you think of those places with steeples on them? The new signage and colors outside seems awfully similar to the old signage and colors — we had to do a double-take to notice the difference. Once inside, it's quickly apparent that the delectables offered are pretty much in the same vein as the restaurant's former incarnation. And when the additional menu items are weighed in — the "Plus" if you will — what you're …

The unofficial epicenter of Seminole Heights' commercial renaissance, the 4900 through 5200 block stretch of North Florida Avenue, is showing more amenity to new independent businesses. Microgroove record store opened on Dec. 1, and with that co-owners Carl Webb and Keith Ulrey posed the question: do people still like to buy vinyl records? So far, Webb says business has been “Incredible. Beyond any expectation that Keith and I had.” A handful of other shops and restaurants have opened on this stretch in recent months and years, including the Independent, Cappy's Pizza, the Refinery, Cleanse …

Living in Seminole Heights since 1992 and doing business here since 2009, Debra Vallejo does plenty to demonstrate her commitment to the neighborhood. Still, in October she and her husband and business partner David Vallejo moved their D&D Antiques and More from 4707 N. Nebraska Ave. to 4709 N. Florida Ave. After just three months, the Vallejos are in the process of doubling their square footage from 1,300 to 2,600. Debra said the build out should be complete by Jan. 1, creating booth space for seven to 10 new vendors. D&D Antiques and More 4709 N Florida Ave. 813-625-3703 www.facebook.com/…

  If you enjoy the theater or are looking for something new to do in the area, then step on out and head over to the Asylum Theater — the newest artistic venue to land in Central Tampa. Co-Owners: Laura Lamon, James Vale and Michael Kish Asylum Theater 7921 N Armenia Ave., Tampa, FL 33604 813-933-7803 Cash and Credit cards accepted. It’s Not Broadway: Recognizing the need for a better entertainment scene, siblings Lamon and Vale opened the theater to help bring Tampa and the arts together. “Tampa is fragmented, and no one knows what to do or where to go out," explained Vale. Asylum is the …

  Some seafood restaurants put “shack” in their name to invoke some bogus rustic vibe. At TN Crab Shack, what you see is what you get. Look elsewhere for gimmicky cocktails, touristy bibs and inflated seafood. Local folks know this is the place to go for heavy take-out boxes of fried, boiled or steamed seafood at reasonable prices. The modest walk-up seafood stand might seem a little out-of-the-way, tucked away in northeastern Seminole Heights, across from Sligh Middle School. But staying in business for 15 years means owner Tam Nguyen must be doing something right. “For good food they're …

Before walking into Morris Kohl Enterprises, it would be helpful to know a few things. This a hobby shop, not a toy store. Kohl sells models of all sorts, and especially radio controlled, or r/c, vehicles -- things that people of all ages can make hobbies of, not just play with. Toys, Kohl would explain to you, are what you get at Toys R Us, or Radio Shack, or Wal Mart. And while Kohl does a good deal of repair work, don't bring any r/c stuff you bought from those stores to him for fixing. He'll tell you flat-out: they're junk. “You'd be lucky to have it last more than three days. I tell them…

Next time you’re craving seafood, instead of going to the grocery store, head over to the Blue Sea Seafood Market & Restaurant for either today’s fresh catch or a freshly prepared meal. Having grown up in Boston, owner Young Ha’s family has always been in the seafood industry. Working alongside his parents he learned the family business at a young age. Inspired by his father, together they opened Blue Sea in 2006. Blue Sea Seafood Market & Restaurant7110 N. Nebraska Ave.813-234-5085Owners: Young and Thinh Ha A lot of fish from the sea:  Working with fisherman from all over Florida, Blue Sea …

In the antique shop world, it’s easy to get lulled into a sense of permanence. But don’t think that shifting trends don’t apply in Keith Motko’s shop. The owner of Seminole Heights Antiques and Home Décor sees a pretty clear tack from his vantage point. “My clientele is getting younger and younger every year,” he said. “I’m getting rid of all the old grannies. All of the old stuff just doesn’t sell any more. Depression era glass doesn’t sell any more. The days of just collecting tons and tons of stuff are going.” Motko does carry tons and tons of stuff, from all sorts of eras. It is still an …

The plain white letters on the bright red awning couldn’t be more unassuming. But the building marked “Beltram Supply” at Florida Avenue and Hiawatha Street actually represents a family business with humble roots in 19th century Austria, and that did about $40 million in the food service supply business in 2010. In 1973, Dan Beltram had just graduated from the University of South Florida, and was considering medical school before deciding to take a break to help his ailing father with his business. “I thought I’d help him get his knife sharpening business sold, and gosh, I’m still here,” said…

Don’t call Tempus Projects an art gallery, if you want co-owner Tracy Midulla Reller’s opinion. Sure, the converted garage on Florida Avenue looks and acts like most of the neighborhood galleries that have come and (mostly) gone since the Seminole Heights art space bloom of the late 1990s. To Midulla Reller, “gallery” just sounds so … permanent. And indeed, “I needed a change,” Midulla Reller said of the time when she conceptualized Tempus Projects in late 2009. “I wanted it to be a project space that wasn’t just based on visual art. I wanted a space where the art changes. We do hold mostly …

The name of Becky Rubright’s holistic health business is more than a handle or suggestion. Finding the perfect spot in Seminole Heights for her home and business means that she has achieved her own living harmony. It’s easy to miss Living Harmony Health Center, tucked away behind Rubright’s cozy 1938 house. “I bought that property specifically for that building,” Rubright says of the 1,188 square foot converted back yard apartment that now serves as her office. “When I first formulated my idea, I always wanted to have my business like that.” Rubright, a native of Washington D.C., studied at …