Located in downtown Largo on the old cobbled streets lies a small, yellow shack called The Deli Diva.  This New York style deli, owned by "diva" Anne Money Buck and the "deli dude" Robert Buck, serves-up a mean lunch. Open Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., it caters to the business crowd. This is no ordinary deli. Anne Money Buck knows her stuff when it comes to the deli business. After all she's a third generation deli cook. Everything on the menu is made fresh daily. It's the type of cooking that you know someone spent hours making and preparing as a labor of love. Their …

After 15 years of living in Largo, Jennifer Lantry was tired of hearing all the negative connotations associated with her adopted hometown. Lantry has heard derogatory terms used to describe Largo, seen her friends travel away from the area for a fun night out on the town, and endured plenty of rolled eyes and sorry smiles when she told people she was opening a bar in the Old Northwest district off West Bay Drive. "I want to get rid of the word Larghetto," said Lantry, owner of O'Shy's Irish Tap House on Clearwater-Largo Road. "I'm trying to get Largo to be a normal word in people's minds." "…

While volunteering at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium a few years ago, Amy Ferguson noticed a picture of a sea turtle that had grown up with a plastic six-pack holder around its midsection, swelling parts of the turtle's body to unhealthy proportions. The unsettling image always stuck in her mind, and it got her thinking about what she could do to help endangered wildlife. Years later while buying produce, Ferguson looked at the plastic bag in her hand and knew she'd had enough of contributing to the demise of the world's wildlife population. So she decided to do something about it. "I always …

For some being an artist is something that can be learned, but for Tim Hubbard, art runs deep in his blood. Hubbard left his secure career as a mechanic to pursue his passion in photography. Although the pay was great, there was something missing, he said, the chance to create art. He studied to be a mechanic shortly after graduating high school, but his first job was in his first love, photography. “My first job when I was teenager was product photography and weddings. I enjoy the endless possibilities, being creative is what it’s all about,” Hubbard said. Hubbard said at 20 years old, he …

Four years ago Carlos Sosa, a kitchen manager at Perkins, jumped at the opportunity to own his own business. His dream was answered by a food truck. La Yucateca is Sosa’s South-Mexican food joint perfect for those who want to pick up good food fast or sit and mingle with friends on their lunch break. Sosa's manager owned the food truck, but no longer wanted it. Sosa bought it and turned the former hot-dog car into a taco stand. He first set up in Tampa to serve club-goers his authentic South Mexican tacos and bags of chips from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. After a friend's recommendation Sosa moved his …

The doors of Largo’s O’Houston’s Irish Pub have closed. The once black lettered logo across the front of the building has been dismounted, leaving a faint silhouette on the structure’s yellow paint. Below it sits a new sign with a new name: Barley Mow Brewing Company. Inside Jay Dingman and his girlfriend, Colleen Huffman, the new owners, are busy at work scrubbing, caulking, cleaning and moving kegs of beer in preparation of their brewery’s grand opening at the end of the month. In August, the City of Largo received a notice from the owners of O’Houston’s detailing their intention to sell …

Charlie Crank turned his passion for skateboards into Murder Ride, a skateboard design company based in Largo that's created over 500 uniquely designed skateboards shipped across the country. The 38-year-old originally from Ohio moved to Clearwater more than 26 years ago. He said living in Florida was a culture change because year round the weather is worm and it doesn’t snow.  For Crank living near the beaches gave him the opportunity to emerge himself in the Orange States way of living of surfing, skim boarding and skating. “I started skating because that’s what everybody was doing, it’s …

On a Sunday morning, Pozena Kloska sipped her coffee at a banquette near the door of Cafe de Paris Bakery.  She didn’t have time for her usual breakfast. Kloska, an Indian Rocks Beach resident and a frequent customer, usually makes time for a longer visit.  “It’s a place to get away, have a chat on everything going on,” she said.  Kloska, who is originally from Poland said the cafe's friendly service reminds her of home. Her loyalty to the shop may also be about the pastries and quiche.  The cafe's most popular items are the chocolate and French croissant.  “You can’t get this quality any …

Jill Jubelt knitted the beginnings of a dark brown vest as she sat at a long table inside Flying Needles, a needlepoint and knitting shop in Belleair Bluffs. “When times are hard, people go back to comforting things, not just comfort food,” she said. Phyllis Glass, of Clearwater, sat across the table from Jubelt as she worked on a deep blue scarf for her granddaughter. ”Here’s your third stitch,” said shop owner Beryl Durham as she leaned over Glass and helped her move past a glitch in her knitting. Both Jubelt and Glass are regulars. They don’t just shop there, they knit there and talk about…

It appears you can go home again after all.Largo native Danny Lehan started working at the Walsingham Road Village Inn Restaurant as a busboy 21 years ago.  Now he’s back, as a franchisee.  “I’ve been in a love affair with the restaurant since I started here,” he said.  “These are my people.”  And his ‘people’ keep coming back.  At 10:30 a.m. Thursday morning, all tables were full with more customers coming in the door. “We’re never not busy,” Lehan said. Just days after the Village Inn reopened business is up about 40 percent more than predicted.The restaurant’s popularity could be due to …

Lots of people could use an exercise partner, a massage or just a midday break outside. So could their dogs. The Doggie Diva fills those needs for pets all over Pinellas County.Since 2008, The Diva, aka Shannon Sullivan, has made "walking the dog" her full-time occupation. Her business serves cat and dog owners all over Largo, Seminole and the Pinellas beaches. Two of Sullivan's business partners cover the rest of the county.Make no mistake: The Diva does more than take pets for a walk. Caren Dana, a client with a Rhodesian ridgeback, said the Divas were there for her and her other dog, …

“This is what I envisioned when I doodled in class. I was able to play architect and build and design what I wanted.” Dr. Marc Rogers, 41, is talking about his new office in Largo, just south of East Bay Drive on Seminole Boulevard.  Rogers and his employees moved into Coastal Chiropractic about two months ago.  “It’s my dream practice,” he said. It’s also in his dream city. Rogers grew up in Indian Rocks Beach and said he always wanted to “come back home.”  Susan Cobb, who works in reception, said the office has the right vibe.  “It’s such a great office with positive energy. I feel blessed …

“It’s pretty gratifying to be a 52 year old guy doing this.”  And by “this,” Steve LeVine means any water sport you can imagine.  These days, kite surfing is on his radar. “My goal is to get better at floating over water,” he said. Steve and his wife Mary own Watersports West.  They moved their business into the their store on Walsingham Road 10 years ago. Things have changed over that decade for the LeVines, their customers and the environment. “The evolution of technologies brought us sports that are easier and safer,” LeVine said, “We offer kite surfing which has gotten much safer with …

Music teacher Liesel Soley pulled a padded, wooded stool a foot away from student Augustus Deshler. He flips the music book to a new page and straightens his back before playing his violin. Soley listens intently, stopping him for teachable moments and praising him when he nails it. “Do your G with a G string, move it a tiny bit lower. What do you hear? Can you do that again?” Soley asked. Augustus doesn’t miss a beat. He takes the suggestion and plays the note again. “Good, good, yes, you corrected it,” Soley praised. A graduate of Juilliard School of Music, Soley's teaching style mixes …

It’s no wonder that Cheryl Champagne has loyal clients. The international health and fitness instructor conveys a friendliness and knowledge that speaks to people both new to healthy living and those who want more depth. She is a total package of spunky, smart and soulful. The energetic Champagne arrives to the interview with an ease that doesn’t portray the hectic schedule of yoga instructor, personal trainer and coach. Her warmth seems to infuse everything she does and everyone she meets.  “I've always been a people person,” Champagne said. Champagne’s intuitiveness and empathy appeared …

Island Shop is a beachgoers’ haven. Originally opened in 1977, this Indian Rocks staple is decorated with palm trees amid a bright blue and yellow backdrop and a border of grass skirts. It’s serious about its water fun. Colorful surf  boards and paddles skim the ceiling and stand at attention along the front wall. Huge stand-up paddle boards hang vertically across a side wall. You can find everything you need from swimsuits, sandals and sunscreen to all types of boards: skim boards, body boards, stand-up boards and surf boards. Larry Garrison purchased the shop more than three years ago It's …

Think of beauty pageants, and your mind may zoom to images of little girls aged with makeup, overbearing stage moms living vicariously through their daughters or fake beauty that plays well on camera. None of those even remotely describe Indian Rocks resident, Hazely Lopez, a beauty pageant winner turned coach and business owner. That's not to imply you can’t see the beauty glowing within Lopez. Dressed in a gray sweater, designer jeans, high heels and minimal makeup, Lopez exuded more than physical beauty. The 5-foot-4-inch tall brunette arrived to the interview from a self-confidence class …

The Honey Pot Bridal & Tux is a wedding wonderland. White wedding gowns of all sizes and styles flow from the front of the cozy shop to the back wall. Colorful, formal dresses hug the walls. Inside this boutique brides can find any accessory they need for their big day. Everything from veils and jewelry to a parade of shoe choices like glitzy sandals, dye-able pumps and glittered heels. For ceremonies and receptions, unique memory gifts line a tabletop. It's a bride's paradise. A place where beauty lies in the details: tall urns of beautiful flowers pop by the front door and a Queen Anne …

Amber Holland's organic salon helped her realize something greater than her childhood dream: a chance to boost women's self-esteem and help the environment. The vibe in Midori Salon and Spa, is serene and peaceful. The spa is dressed in earth tones, bamboo décor and soothing music. Flowing, white curtains frame the entrance to the spa's main area and its four treatment rooms. In the center of the spacious spa, a low-rising bamboo table and chairs sets a natural and relaxed atmosphere. Guests can plan spa parties, complete with individualized treatments and catered food. In each room, vases of…

Robert Powell first made money doing something he loved when he was a kid. He played baseball in front of television cameras as an extra in the 1960s Dennis the Menance television show. “We got paid $50, which was a lot of money back then,” Powell said. He was friends with the show’s child star, Jay North, which led to the lucrative gig. “They set a few of us kids in the background, rolled the cameras and we played ball. We didn’t think of it as acting. We were just having fun, playing baseball.” Powell looks like someone you know, but can’t quite place. He's a big man, softened with a baby …