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Around the Bay

Business news from around Tampa Bay

By Times Staff
Published October 22, 2007

Dade City

Entrepreneur's passion sets sail

As Russell Hann neared age 40 and started a family, he realized he wanted boats to be not just a hobby, but his livelihood.

Last year, Hann opened a production facility for Hann Powerboats, a custom boat company, at Dade City Business Center. Just a year in business, and with fewer than five projects under his belt, he recently scored two federal contracts, one to build a $400,000 high-speed 50-foot vessel and one for a $20,000 18-foot flats boat.

The larger boat will be used in Navy training exercises and the smaller one as an enforcement boat in freshwater lakes at Goodfellow Air Force Base in Texas.

Hann said he's still working to build up the commercial side of his business. He recently got orders for two more 18-foot boats that cost about $25,000. And, of course, he's going to keep looking for more government contracts.

Tampa

Greens, beans and economic justice

Soul food on Sunday. It was a tradition for many black families in Florida, Candy Lowe says. "It reminds me consistently of my grandmother and my great-grandmother and going up to Georgia and taking your shoes off and having good meatloaf with onions," said Lowe, who owns Candy Lowe Tea Time.

But families grew too busy over the past few decades. Many black families end up at Golden Corral or Piccadilly after church.

Lowe, president of the Black Business Bus Tour, which showcases African-American businesses, had an epiphany standing in line at buffet Buddy Freddy's. She saw four African-American pastors. The restaurant was packed with black people. Lowe thought about some of the 11 soul food restaurants that the Suncoast African American Chamber of Commerce estimates are in Hillsborough County. Many are mom-and-pop shops fighting for attention with few advertising dollars. So Lowe is promoting "Soul Food Sunday," enlisting the help of African-American pastors to get the word out.

St. Petersburg

Timing's everything for HipHopSodaShop

The first HipHopSodaShop will open in Tampa, not St. Petersburg, but the enterprise will contain organic elements of both communities and connections to both.

Delayed for more than a year, the health food restaurant and music-themed video-gaming business was to start in a former Chinese restaurant at 8901 Fourth St. N, but will instead open this year at 1241 E Fowler Ave., the former Bull Ring Sports Bar.

Investors in H3 Enterprises, the company behind the concept shop, have closely followed progress in the attempt to marry popular hip-hop culture and investment capital in a positive entertainment venue. Company officials felt they had to act fast after the St. Petersburg location was delayed by expensive zoning requirements triggered by its gaming component, said Dr. Ben Chavis, president and CEO of H3.

"As a publicly traded company, it's in the interest of our investors to have a store open as quickly as possible," said Chavis, who took over H3 in June.

[Last modified October 19, 2007, 22:34:34]