With Tampa Bay shoppers in a flurry tax weekend, some shop owners are taking a lunchtime break to be honored by LocalShops1. The annual Best in Biz awards event takes place at 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. today at the Safety Harbor Resort and Spa's Four Springs Ballroom.
So if you have a little time and spare cash before your back-to-school pilgrimage to corporate-owned big box stores, stop in for brunch and to give props to cool, local businesses and organizations that give us a sense of community and identity — businesses that distinguish us from other cities.
Besides the traditional awards presentation and food spread, LocalShops1 will host its second annual floppy hat contest.
The event's keynote speaker, USFSP's Daniel James Scott, was named Small Business Advocate of the Year by the Small Business Administration's Florida chapter.
The finalists are …
Best Established Business
Bananas Music, St. Petersburg
Bell Contracting & Design, Seminole
Jacqueline R Maltry, Largo
Craftsman House, St. Petersburg
O’Maddy’s, Gulfport
Pam’s restaurant, New Port Richey
Sea Breeze Manor B&B, Gulfport
Small Adventures Bookshop, Gulfport
Tampabay Massage, Seminole
Three Birds Tavern, St. Petersburg
Time Systems, St. Petersburg
Best New Business
America’s Disaster Relief, St. Petersburg
Blowfish Bar & Grill, Seminole
Brew D’Licious, St. Petersburg
Clay Center, St. Petersburg
Chart 411, St. Petersburg
Felicitous Tea, Tampa
Growing Up, St. Petersburg
MASH Apparel, St. Petersburg
Michele Tuegel Contemporary Gallery, St. Petersburg
Neptune Bar & Grill, Gulfport
SmartCookee Co., St. Petersburg
Sombra Coffee, Seminole
Sunset Appliance Service, Clearwater
Teaza Energy, Clearwater
The Rande James Spa, St. Petersburg
The Ale & the Witch, St. Petersburg
The Iron Pelican Antiques, St. Petersburg
Your Travel & Cruise Concierge, Brandon
Best at Grassroots Marketing
America’s Disaster Relief, St. Petersburg
Forbes Riley Studios, St. Petersburg
City Bike, Tampa
Illuminated Publishing, Lutz
Gulfport Tuesday Market
ShoutOut Tampa Bay, Largo
Sunset Appliance Service, Clearwater
The Car Shop, Tampa
The Cupcake Spot, St. Petersburg
The Sophisticates, St. Petersburg
Most Community-Minded
America’s Disaster Relief, St. Petersburg
Chart 411, St. Petersburg
Cheryl Hinton, Park Lane Jewelry
Farias Consulting Group, St. Petersburg
Gulfport Tuesday Market
Heartland Payments, K. Cleary, St. Petersburg
Illuminated Publishing, Lutz
Jacqueline R Maltry, Largo
Kaleisia Tea Shop, Tampa
La Cote Basque, Gulfport
This article appears in Aug 1-7, 2013.