If one were to look for a reason Rogers Cleaners’ Jennifer Farr was named Sales/Driver of the Year in a competition with drycleaning pros all over the country, you could point to her reliability, her efficiency, or her personable, caring approach with customers. But really, it’s because she let her St. Pete delivery route go to the dogs. One customer’s canine now looks longingly upward whenever she sees a red Rogers drycleaning bag hanging from the front door; the dog knows that when her owner takes the bag down, he’ll find the biscuit Jennifer left along with the cleaning. (One woman’s pug has been known to drag the bag around the house, obsessed with the possibility of more hidden treats.). Jennifer says she’s “big on customer service,” and that’s true — for both the two- and four-legged customers she serves. (Plus, Rogers does a near-impeccable job cleaning clothes.) 2013 Fourth St. N., St. Petersburg, 727-894-0706. rogerscleaners.com.
Goods & Services
Who among us hasn’t knocked their coffee/water/wine onto their computer’s keypad and freaked out? Good news… there is a saint in our community, a savior of information who keeps us from slashing our wrists at the realization that we’ve been too lazy to back up our info for three months and that the project we’ve been slaving over is toast unless he works his miracles on our behalf. Steve Bush, at Screwbox, is the man for Macs. He epitomizes competence. Bless him. 3117 W. Columbus Drive, Tampa, 813-784-4178. thescrewbox.com.
Runner Up: Andrew Winchell of Mark Dalton, Inc.
Whether you’re looking to get a bun in the oven, already baking, or looking for post-bun delivery advice, Thank You Mama has you covered, from fertility and pre-natal acupuncture to massage, tinctures, teas and all that’s in between. There’s even a boutique of earth momma-friendly supplies. And the ladies that operate this network are incredibly connected goddesses, hip to the earthiest information on how to rear and raise in harmony with nature. 1511 4th St. N., St Petersburg, 727-289-7250. thankyou-mama.com.
Runners Up: Chase, Regions
It’s where you’ll find the best little box, best medium box, and best you-didn’t-know-you-needed-it-till-you-saw-it-in-The-Container-Store box — itself a big shiny white box whose ambience is so bright and playful, its employees so genuinely cheerful, that it may make you rethink your anti-big-box-store bias. But the best part is the merch, a dazzling range of items in a variety of price ranges to meet all kinds of storage needs, like the find we made on a recent visit: an ingenious drop-down spice rack that solves once and for all the problem of shuffling through all those little jars from Savory Spice Shop. 4720 W. Spruce St. (corner of Spruce and Westshore across from International Plaza), Tampa, 813-774-4060. containerstore.com.
