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Talk of the bay: CVS is planning 11 MinuteClinics by year's end

By Times staff
Published October 20, 2007

Yet another retail chain is adding walk-in clinics to its Tampa Bay area stores. CVS now has four MinuteClinics in local stores and plans to open seven more by year's end. The clinics are staffed by nurse practitioners. MinuteClinic is covered by most major insurers with co-pay; for the uninsured, most treatments cost $49. CVS joins Walgreens, Publix and Wal-Mart in rolling out quick-care medical services.

DoubleTree hotel changing hands
Another year, another owner for the Tampa DoubleTree Westshore Airport hotel. Encore Hospitality LLC bought the 489-room hotel in early 2006, but is selling it to Shamrock-Hostmark Hotel Fund LP for more than $40-million. Shamrock, based in California, will retain the DoubleTree flag and invest $13-million to complete renovations. Its target market is business travelers using low-cost airlines at Tampa International Airport.

OSI turns to Carat for advertising
OSI Restaurant Partners of Tampa hired a new group to handle advertising and marketing services for its Outback Steakhouse and Carrabba's chains. The $110-million deal is with Carat, a subsidiary of London's Aegis Group, which will be handling online and offline media planning and buying, outdoor, digital, direct mail and emerging media. The work had been done by W.B. Doner & Co. of Michigan, which did not bid to continue the account.

Correction
Actor Charlie Sheen frequently wears Nat Nast apparel. An item Friday spelled the brand name incorrectly.

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[Last modified October 19, 2007, 23:33:52]