Robert Edwards has taken over the space next to his butcher shop to create a seating area to serve meals to customers.
By MICHAEL CANNING
Published February 27, 2004
SHORTER TRIP TO THE TABLE: When the perfect filet stares at you from the refrigerator case, it seems like it takes forever to get to your plate.
Robert Edwards can cut down on that time. The longtime butcher on the northwest corner of West Shore and El Prado boulevards has expanded his butcher shop, Roberts Meats and Deli, with a small restaurant.
Edwards has taken over the space next door - formerly Sheena's Salon - to create a seating area for his customers to eat some of the prepared items he's been selling all along, such as filet mignon and New York strip sandwiches.
Edwards' menu includes anything in his meat cases. Point to it, and it'll be on your plate soon. That includes all sorts of beef cuts, poultry and seafood, including fresh fish and grouper sandwiches. Edwards also offers a selection of barbecued meats, with the traditional side dishes and deli-style sandwiches.
The restaurant, which exists under the same business name, seats 40 and is decked out like a casual family barbecue joint. Lunch and dinner are served, and Edwards hopes to add beer and wine soon.
FROM OLD MED TO EURO CONTEMPO: Mediterranean Heritage furniture store converted to Soho Contempo Furniture on Feb. 9. The 5,000-square-foot showroom at 2907 W Kennedy Blvd., just east of Gomez Avenue, now stocks contemporary Scan design-styled furniture.
Bedroom, living and dining rooms sets are available in materials such as leather, microfiber and lacquered wood.
The store's distinctive dark red exterior remains. A grand opening is planned for early March.
Business hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and Saturday noon to 6 p.m.
PRUDENTIAL REPLACING PROVENCE: The New Port Richey-based Prudential Tropical Realty will move its South Tampa branch office to 1529 S Dale Mabry Highway, site of the former Provence Collection antique store.
Currently at Old Hyde Park Village, the branch will nearly double its space when it moves in June, says Prudential Tropical managing broker Howard Weinstein. In the meantime, the building on Dale Mabry, just a few doors south of Neptune Street, will be gutted and remodeled to accommodate 50 agents.
Prudential Tropical now has 26 agents, Weinstein said. Besides realty, the new office will provide mortgage and title services.
Prudential Tropical has 14 offices around the bay area and is the largest Prudential real estate franchise in the area, Weinstein said.
BANKING ON HYDE PARK: Who wouldn't these days? AmSouth Bank is opening a branch at 2405 W Swann Ave., just west of Howard Avenue.
Technically that spot is in Courier City. But it's a stone's throw from the Historic Hyde Park, Parkland Estates, New Suburb Beautiful and Southern Pines neighborhoods. Not a bad collection of neighborhoods for a bank to be in.
The former building on the site, once home to Performance Massage, Betterfit Personal Fitness and Hyde Park Hair Loft, has been demolished. The massage and fitness businesses moved to 2605 S MacDill Ave.; the hair salon went to 610 S Armenia Ave.
Susan Lang, Florida marketing director for AmSouth, says construction will begin soon on a new brick building. The 3,320-square-foot bank branch will accommodate seven employees, drive-through lanes and ATMs. It will offer consumer, commercial and private banking, trusts, mortgages and other services.
Based in Birmingham, Ala., the bank has 640 branches through the Southeast. This will be AmSouth's 13th in Tampa.
Lang said the new branch will open in mid-summer with a grand opening event with a cookout, special offers on banking services, games and prizes.
RANDOM RUMBLINGS: Michael Murphy won't confirm it, but a banner hung in a window across from his gallery at 2722 S MacDill Ave. said the business is moving there.
The Michael Murphy Gallery is expected to take up a row of storefronts once occupied by Michael's Door furniture store.
The building, on the southwest corner of MacDill and Barcelona Street, has been vacant for a few years. No word yet on when the move will happen.
- Do you know something that should be everybody's business? Call 226-3394, or e-mail mikecanning@hotmail.com
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