There was a whole lot of hootin’ and hollerin’ from Mayor Bob Buckhorn and his gang last year when the news came out that a Publix would be opening downtown. Forgotten in the fray of “yays!”? Duckweed Urban Grocery was starting construction that same day on its second location just across from Channelside’s Washington Street dog park. No worries, though, as residents started flocking to the Duck as soon as it opened last March. 111 N. 12th St #1102, Tampa, 8 to the joint to get their essentials duckweekurbangrocery.com. —Ray Roa
Goods & Services: Tampa Bay businesses that did it right.
Tampa Bay businesses that did it right.
RUNNERS-UP: AER Apartments, Post SoHo Square Apartments
Wood wizard Jon Stine is known for crafting beautiful longboards, beer taps and very-high-end custom furniture, but countertops — who knew? When my boyfriend and I went searching for wood countertops that didn’t look like 1985-married ScanDesign, we ran into Stine working in the back room of Anderson Lumber and learned, shockingly, that we could afford him. He added artistic touches — tying together the tones of wood between the high-top and the work surface, carving out space for a mermaid compass rose, and using his power tools to add creative weathering to the cypress — all without calling attention to itself as “art.” Facebook: Stine Custom Woodworks, LLC. —Cathy Salustri
RUNNERS-UP: Autoworks of Tampa, Big John’s Brake & Alignment Service
RUNNERS-UP: Grow Financial Federal Credit Union, Suncoast Federal Credit Union
