The Best Of

New Tampa, Wesley Chapel, Lutz, Land O Lakes, Zephyrhills, and Odessa

Featured Story

The Great Belk Comeback

Belk is making a comeback to Tampa Bay, and this time, they’re putting down roots in Wesley Chapel. After years of being “that store that used to be everywhere,” Belk is reopening a location where hard-to-find fits and affordable fashion meet for real.

If you live around Wesley Chapel and have ever poked around for a decent pair of jeans or a classy gift without driving all the way to Tampa or Clearwater, this one’s for you. The new Belk will bring back the days when you could grab a shirt, a pair of (hopefully) comfortable shoes, and maybe even find a jacket that doesn’t look like it survived Y2K.

It’s the kind of store that reminds you shopping doesn’t always have to mean a full-day expedition. Sometimes it can mean grabbing something nice on your lunch break, or popping in after work and walking out with exactly what you needed. For Wesley Chapel, that’s a small win that feels a little like everyone snagged an extra present under the tree.

So get ready: Belk is coming back, and for many of us, that means fewer detours and more convenient style. Keep an eye out for grand-opening details. I have a feeling the lines will be long, but the socks and sweaters will be worth it.

The Real What’s Up

A Door Of Hope

Looking for a chance to give back and make a real difference? A Door of Hope needs volunteers, and now’s the perfect time to step up. The organization offers meaningful opportunities to support families and individuals in need — from food and clothing drives to mentoring, outreach, and community support. If you’ve got some time and a big heart, sign up and help spread hope where it’s needed most.

Foodies Only

The Great Catch

Craving fresh seafood that hits the spot? Check out The Great Catch. A go-to for quality, flavor, and straight-from-the-ocean freshness. Whether you’re after shrimp, grouper, or your family’s favorite catch, they bring the sea to your plate with pride and care. Great for a quick dinner fix or your next backyard seafood feast.

Have your spot featured here.

Email us at: [email protected] 

We Know a Guy…or Girl

What’s Up Working

Looking for a painter? A plumber? Or a hero willing to wrestle with that lightbulb hanging 30 feet in the air? You’re in the right place.

Want your business to be one of the go-tos?

Email us at: [email protected] to get on the list.

A Second Chance, A New Spa, and a Story Worth Cheering For

Sometimes the biggest glow-ups don’t come from a serum, a peel, or a 10-step skincare routine. Sometimes they come from life, handing you a plot twist you didn’t ask for. That’s exactly the journey of Elizabeth Remis, the new entrepreneur bringing Creations Med Aesthetics and Wellness Spa to Lutz at the start of the new year.

Her story doesn’t start with soft music and cucumber water. It starts with loss, trauma, addiction, and a year in state prison that became the wake-up call she didn’t know she needed. She’ll tell you herself that when those steel doors closed behind her, something opened inside her. A switch flipped. Life had to change.

And change it did.

Elizabeth got clean behind bars. She dug into therapy, healing, and all the uncomfortable but necessary parts of rebuilding a life. She returned home with something powerful: belief. Not the fluffy kind, but the gritty kind. The kind that says, “I can be more than my past.”

Fast-forward to today, and she’s part of the 1.5 percent of small business owners in the entire country who have a felony record. Not exactly an easy club to join. Programs like InspHire from Abe Brown Ministries help folks transition back into the workforce, and they say the barriers are real: housing, credit, and jobs. Rebuilding takes time.

Time is something Elizabeth has put to good use.

Now, as she preps to open her spa, she talks openly about gratitude, peace, and wanting to help others find their best selves, too. Creations Med Aesthetics isn’t just a business. It’s the physical proof that redemption looks a lot less like a movie montage and a lot more like hard days, second chances, and people choosing to believe in you.

Wesley Chapel gets a lot of new businesses, but this one comes with a story worth rooting for. A fresh start, a new beginning, and a reminder that sometimes the most powerful transformations aren’t on the outside.

And honestly? That’s the kind of energy we need going into a new year.

What’s Up This Week

That’s it for this week.

Thanks for reading. Keep showing up for each other, supporting your neighbors, and building the kind of community we’re all proud to call home.

The Folks Behind The Curtain

P.S.

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