Gala Logo La S�tima
Newsletter of the Ybor City Chamber of Commerce             Sept. 16, 2010




Come out for PM Networking, Thursday, September 23rd from 5:30PM to 7:30PM.  Celebrate the grand opening of Gaspar's new kitchen.  Sample empanadas, caprese on crostini, and flat bread with black bean roasted salsa with your admission, and while you are at it enjoy the night's offerings on drink specials.  The ribbon cutting is scheduled for 6:30PM.  We hope to see you there! 

A Special Thanks For Joining To
 

Superior Benefits Inc.
Joe Stagliano
3629 Henderson Blvd., Ste 402
Tampa, FL 33629

A Note Of Appreciation To Renewed Members
 
Schezy Barbas
2916 W. Hawthorne Rd.
Tampa, FL 33611
 
Brian Manne
306 E. Flora
Tampa, FL 33604
 
Alexandria Art & Frame
Genia Ward
1721 Hillside Dr.
Tampa, FL 33610
 
Hilton Garden Inn Tampa/Ybor City
Michelle Cardamone
1700 E 9th Avenue
Tampa, FL 33605
 
King Corona Cigars-Cafe & Bar
Donald Barco
1523 E 7th Avenue
Tampa, FL 33605

St. Petersburg Times
Grace Posada
1000 N Ashley Drive Suite 700
Tampa, FL 33602

Sunshine State Garage
Sam Castellano
407 N. 22nd Street
Tampa, FL 33605
 
Top To Bottom Home Inspection, Inc.
John Gibson & Lori Gibson
16005 Pennington Road
Tampa, FL 33624

Guavaween
2010

Come out and celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Ybor City's Annual Halloween Extravaganza on Saturday, October 30th!

Guavaween Night is filled with costumed revelry and offers live music featuring national and local artists, the Mama Guava Stumble Parade, 'Features' Costume Contest and all of the exciting venues Ybor City has to offer!  experience Wonderland! Join in on the Mama Guava Stumble and continuous entertainment!

Call 813.242.4828 or check the event out on the web at www.cc-events.org/gw/  to get in on the entertainment!


Host a Guavaween Party!

Take advantage of the publicity and panache of Guavaween 2010 by ordering up your discounted block of tickets for your krewe, party, or best buddies.

Group tickets run $150 for 10 tickets, $250 for 20 tickets, or  $500 for 50 tickets. For more information on group ticket sales call 813.242.4828
Ybor Chamber Member Spotlight

We want to welcome back to Ybor City and the Ybor Chamber, Creative Loafing, who has taken up residence in Ybor Square. Creative Loafing held a grand party Wednesday night to announce their 20th Annual Best of the Bay awards. Ybor City was again voted "Best Party District" with many of our businesses winning such coveted awards as: "Best Fashion Barter" - Revolve Clothing Exchange; "Best Coffee With a Kick" - King Corona Cigars & Caf�; "Best Place to see Local Music" - New World Brewery; "Best Ybor Invasion" - The Bricks; "Best Vintage Clothing Store" - La France; "Best Way to Get Drunk for $2 - "Reservoir Bar's Mr. Purple shots; and "Best Place for a Camp Out" - Hamburger Mary's.
 
Creative Loafing (CL) is the media sponsor for our Saturday, October 2, 2010, "OktoberFest Pub Crawl." CL and the Ybor City Chamber are a great fit and we see a long and entertaining relationship in our futures!
 
Creative Loafing
1911 N. 13th Street, Suite W 200
Tampa, FL 33605
813-739-4800
www.cltampa.com
Member Luncheons

October 12th 2010
Susan Haworth
President/ CEO
WEDU
Sponsored by:
New Urban Suites

November 9th 2010
Rick Baker
Director
USF Innovation Partnership
Sponsored by:
SunTrust
Tom Keating Head Shot
Cool, Clean, Crisp & Refreshing
 
I remember distinctly my first taste of beer.  My mom wanted to discourage my brother, sister and me from experimenting on our own, so she gave us all a tablespoon of warm Bud over the kitchen sink.  As I remember it, my sister spit it out, my brother drank the rest of the can and I just thought to myself - why would anybody want to drink this stuff when a Tom Collins tastes so much better.  For good or bad, the experience stunted my appreciation of beer in college in preference to other things.
 
Only in my later years, have I become an aficionado of the brewer's art with the help of my friends.  Folks in the film community have introduced me to the joys of Stella and John, at Ybor's award winning brewpub Tampa Bay Brewing Company, has apprised me of a stout much hardier than the famous Irish brand - theirs.  Richard at the Dirty Shame has graciously expanded my beer horizon and Steve at New World has taken me to the edge in specialty and seasonal brews.  I will never forget the chocolate Christmas beer - a great example of how you can take two really good things and make one very bad thing out of them.
 
However, my "beer epiphany" came at our OktoberFest Biergarten three years ago.  Never had I sampled so many great brews in one place at one time.  I really like good German beer and I think the extra effort they put into Oktoberfest editions is something worthwhile.  Of course, in order to put on our Biergarten, Michele and I had to do some extensive field research.  We visited Florida Oktoberfests from Cape Coral all the way up the coast to Oldsmar.
 
As an Irishman, I have to give the Germans credit for making the quaffing of beer a major family, social occasion.  We get toasted in cozy pubs with other adults and the Germans like to bring everybody in the community together in the biggest "beer hall" they can find.  Join our family (if you're over 21) here in the "Best Party District" in the Bay Area (Creative Loafing 9/16/10) for the Ybor OktoberFest Pub Crawl - Saturday, October 2nd and help us honor the German craftsman that promoted our cigar industry so well.  - Tom Keating


Oktoberfest 2010 insignia


The Chamber's New Events Committee is preparing to launch our Ybor OktoberFest Pub Crawl Saturday, October 2nd.  This new and exciting event is an outgrowth of our successful OktoberFest BierGarten hosted by Centro Ybor in October 2007.  This special event will be held from 4:00 to 8:00 PM, starting in the Centro Ybor courtyard and proceeding out into the Historic District.

 
Each guest will receive an official Ybor OktoberFest t-shirt and a map of participating pubs and patio bars.  Each of the dozen or so participating venues will provide a free sample of premium beer to participants. Establishments along the way will also have German music, drink specials, door prizes, and some will feature German food.
 
Tickets are $20 and include event t-shirt, logo sample cups, and special activities at each venue.  See "special events" at www.ybor.org for more details.
 
Chamber Happenings

September 23- PM Networking Event, Thurs. 5:30- 7:30PM- Mark your calendars now for the chamber's next PM Networking event at Gaspar's Grotto as they celebrate the official opening of their new kitchen.  Check your email and the chamber's calendar of events on www.Ybor.org for more information.

October 12- Ybor Chamber Membership Luncheon, 11:45AM- 1:15PM-Susan Haworth, President/CEO,WEDU, will let luncheon attendees know what it has been like to take over as head of one of the bay area's most resourceful television stations. The chamber luncheon is sponsored by New Urban Suites.  Be sure to check your email so you can RSVP online.
Announcements & Events Around the District

September 19-"1905 Day" at The Columbia Restaurant, Sunday 12PM- 7PM- The Columbia Restaurant will celebrate "1905 Day" to commemorate the 105th Anniversary of the multi-generation, family-owned business. As has been tradition since their 75th Anniversary, the Columbia has developed a special menu with the prices of yesteryear for this day. Guests will enjoy the Columbia Restaurant's world-famous Spanish cuisine for prices they might have paid in the "good ole days".   Please note that the Columbia Caf� at the Tampa Bay history Center will not offer " 1905 Day" pricing, but will be open and ready for service. 813.248.4961

September 20- Gaspar's Grotto Galley Ribbon Cutting, Mon. 4PM-Join the crew of Gaspar's Grotto as they commemorate the opening of their new kitchen.  The event will kick off a week's long celebration.  The "Galley" was made possible in-part by a city funded facade grant; the first of its kind to be awarded. 813.248.5900

Starting September 24 thru November 16-Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Lecture and Class Series-  Centro Asturiano will be host to a series of classes and lectures illustrating the life and culture of Tampa's Latin communities. For more information call 813.974.8036


September 28- Casino Benefit for Fallen Officers, Tues. 6PM- Club Skye is opening their doors to a charity casino night and silent auction to benefit the Kurtis/Kocab Memorial Fund.  The evening promises hors d''ouvres, great give-a-ways, and celebrity appearances.  All proceeds from this event benefit the fund.

October 21- Guavaween 2010 Kick-off Party, Thurs. 6-9PM- Join the Hilton Garden Inn- Ybor City as they kick-off Guavaween 2010.  Come out for food, drink and entertainment performed by recording artist Tom Sartori.


Save On Rowdies Tickets-  You read that right, if you are a native and didn't know or if you are a transplant and don't know, Tampa's original sports franchise has been reincarnated, and you are just in time to catch a game or two before they close out their new year. As a member benefit you can get discount tickets by calling Jeremy Figueroa at 1.800.813.3294 (Ext. 0)

Daily Walking Tours of Ybor City To Get Underway- Regularly scheduled daily walking tours of the Ybor City Historic District become a reality when Ybor City Historic Walking Tours begins touring on October 1st.  current plans call for a daily tour at 11AM, everyday except Monday, departing from the statue of Vicente Martinez Ybor on the Seventh Avenue entrance to Centro Ybor.  Reservations are recommended, but walk-ups are welcome. for more information call 813.505.6779 or visit www.yborwalkingtours.com