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Restaurant Is A Family Recipe

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By MICHAEL H. SAMUELS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 7, 2007

TAMPA - Henry and Raul Castillo do everything together.

They live together. A year ago, they got gastric-bypass surgery together.

Now they have opened Castillo's Cafe and Catering, 2001 N. Armenia Ave., taking their mother's recipes and cooking them for the masses.

"We're just a small business," Raul Castillo said. "It's a small, little place. Daily specials, Cuban sandwiches, steak sandwiches. They're all Spanish recipes my mom gave me."

Raul handles the cooking; Henry does the books.

They had never worked in the restaurant business, although Henry is an accountant for restaurants, Raul said.

"He has more knowledge, but I'm the cooker," he said.

He said he has cooked for friends and family for years. He knows the food is good.

"We're having fun with it," he said. "We've already had a lot of friends come over to eat."

There are 10 seats inside and a 16-seat outdoor patio.

The restaurant is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday.

For information, call (813) 251-2015.

Changes In Bloom At Floral Studio
For someone who works in such a little place, Anthony Swick has big ambitions.

In August, Swick and partner Jay Thomas took over Bay Boutique Floral Studio, which operates in a tiny building at Platt Street and Plant Avenue.

They renovated the interior and painted the exterior orange, adding their flair to a location that has housed a crop of florists.

Swick, who ran two florists in Pinellas County for 10 years, said the studio is a custom store mixing big business events and walk-in traffic.

"We want to bring back into the industry the opportunity for people to get intimate and make an intimate thing," he said. "Our business is a luxury. It is not something people can afford to buy every day."

Typical bouquets start at $40 with delivery. Customers pick flowers by the stem, he said.

The studio is open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

For information, call (813) 258-2686.
Nail Salon Opens On Bay To Bay

What Minh Pham's customers want, they get.

When customers of his Carrollwood K Nails and Spa started complaining about having to drive from South Tampa to the salon, he decided to ease their commute.

So he opened a second K Nails and Spa, this one at 3401-C W. Bay to Bay Blvd.

"They asked for one in the south so they don't have to drive as far," Pham said.

The salon has 11 chairs for manicures and 10 for pedicures, and offers an array of waxing options.

Pham said he expects the business to grow as people discover the new store, somewhat hidden behind Feet First and near a Quizno's and Starbucks on Bay to Bay.

Prices range from $14 for a manicure to $60 for a deluxe French manicure and pedicure combination.

The spa has leather chairs, and technicians use state-of-the-art nail dryers and products that do not discolor nails, Pham said.

The spa is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

For information, call (813) 839-0600.

Opening a new business? Expanding or relocating? Contact reporter Michael H. Samuels at msamuels@tampatrib.com or (813) 835-2109.

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