SRQ Magazine | Spring 2022 | Living Lakewood

LAKEWOOD RANCH AND BEYOND | LIVE LOCAL, LOVE LOCAL

PUBLISHED BY SRQ MEDIA | 2022 SPRING EDITION

LIVING LAKEWOOD

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LUXURY DREAMS

DAVID SLOAN OF LUXE DERAM GARAGE

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Spring 2022

Below: CEO Andy Guz of Lakewood Ranch Medical Center and a Lake Club mural of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Annunciation.

LIVING LAKEWOOD

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Exceeding Patient Expectations

On the Ranch

In these challenging times, Lakewood Ranch Medical Center remains focused on providing the best possible care and exceeding patient expectations. Those efforts have earned us several recent honors, including:

I continue to be impressed by the resilience and skills of our care teams as they bring sophisticated, quality care to you, our community. Always feel free to reach out to me with your thoughts or questions. Visit lwrmc.com/CEOletter to send me an email.

There has never been a better time than now to live “on the Ranch.” People from around the nation (and the world!) are realizing what many of us have long known—Florida is truly the state that gives us the best possible quality of life. And Lakewood Ranch is among the best places to live in this most desirable part of the country. Our Main Street is filled with beaming smiles and thriving businesses and our trails are outdoor respites for walkers, runners and active people of all ages. New shopping meccas like Waterside Place are whetting our appetites, and we all wait with bated breath to hear what is coming next to one of the fastest growing, and surely the most exciting planned communities in the country. In this edition of Living Lakewood our team interviews four business leaders who share perspectives on where we are, and where we are headed. Local leaders David Hunihan, Allison Imre and Drs. Logan Swaim and Laura Swaim, share insights into the forces and peoples that have made Lakewood Ranch so desirable. They all share the same enthusiasm for what the future holds. We share a morning with the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance’s new CEO and President Brittany Lamont who gives us an incredible context on the business dynamics catapulting the growth. Join us as we dream.

A N DY G U Z

WES ROBERTS

—The patient safety watchdog the Leapfrog Group gave us an “A” Grade and named us a Top General Hospital in its most recent ratings. —The hospital is the first in Manatee County, and one of only 25 hospitals in the state of Florida, to receive a 5-Star Rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. —The Joint Commission certified us as an advanced Primary Stroke Center and the American Heart Association / American Stroke Association recognized our commitment to the highest level of advanced care with a Get with the Guidelines® designation.

LAKEWOOD RANCH MEDICAL CENTER | Chief Executive Officer

SRQ MEDIA | Executive Publisher

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Below: David Sloan on the property where Luxe Dream Garage will

be built to house Lakewood Ranch’s luxury automobiles. Italian artist Luca Mancini sketches a vignette of the Lake Club mural he is creating of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Annunciation,

FEATURES Cultivating Community, 6 The new President and CEO of the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance, Brittany Lamont, works to cultivate a sense of belonging in the community.

Navigation, 10 A listing guide to dining, shopping, private schools, things to do and business resources.

Car Utopia, 16 To the delight of local car collectors and enthusiasts, a Luxe Dream Garage is being developed in Lakewood Ranch.

Modern Day Michelangelo, 18 Luca Mancini, an artist from Italy, paints a mural of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Annunciation on the ceiling of Mary Ann Cricchio’s Lake Club home.

In Conversation, 23 Join Dr. Logan Swain and Dr. Laura Swain of The Roots Health Centers, PLLC on peripheral neuropathy.

Credits: Photos of Luxe Dream Garage and Modern Day Michelangelo, this page by Wyatt Kostygan. Cover Credits: CEO and President of Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance Brittany Lamont, photography by Wyatt Kostygan.

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An interview with the new Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance CEO and President.

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WRITTEN BY DYLAN CAMPBELL | PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN

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LAKEWOOD RANCH IS AMERICA’S FASTEST GROWING MASTER-PLANNED COMMUNITY, with 2,574 new homes in 2021 alone. To be a part of a community,

however, is one thing, to feel a sense of belonging is another. Brittany Lamont, the new President and CEO of the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance, is working to cultivate a sense of belonging in the community.

CULTIVATING COMMUNITY Brittany Lamont, the new President and CEO of the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance, is working to cultivate that sense of belonging amongst the burgeoning business community - and by extent, the residents of Lakewood Ranch. Soon to be a mother of three, Brittany is a native of the area and has accumulated a wealth of experience in the business world - from her humble beginnings as an intern with the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce to her role today with the LWRBA. Brittany sat down with SRQ Magazine to discuss how her background informs her new role and the challenges businesses face in an exploding community like Lakewood Ranch.

SRQ: HOW DID YOUR TIME SPENT AT THE GREATER SARASOTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PREPARE YOU FOR THIS ROLE? Brittany Lamont: I always tell people that I was raised by the business community here in the Sarasota Manatee area. I started as an intern back in 2010, progressing from Communications Manager to Director of Communications Events to Vice President, and eventually, after 11 years, to the role I am in today as President and CEO of the Lakewood Ranch

Business Alliance. I’ve done pretty much every job within a membership organization.

The Sarasota Chamber has over 1,100 members, so I was able to gain an understanding of what chambers of commerce do, how membership works, how events work, and how you provide a strong ROI to your members.

On the customer service end of it, I got to lead some really great projects - I restructured their membership, moved them to tiered membership, restructured events, and got to work on some public policy and political campaigns as well. I always say that each chairman of the board leaves their legacy with you.

You get to learn different things from them. I’ve worked under people like Rick Piccolo from the airport who were geniuses in public policy and community development. I served under people with a communications background like Lisl Liang at SRQ Magazine and with a Human Resources background with Lisa Krouse.

WHAT DOES YOUR ROLE AS PRESIDENT AND CEO OF LAKEWOOD RANCH BUSINESS ALLIANCE ENTAIL? Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance is for all intents and purposes,

very similar to a chamber of commerce. It’s a business membership organization in Lakewood Ranch, which is the fastest growing master planned community in the United States.

As President and CEO of the LWRBA, I get to represent that growth. We represent both Sarasota and Manatee counties. We are meeting with our local officials and keeping our pulse on the issues that are affecting businesses here in the region. What kind of advocacy is needed? What referendums are happening?

In short, my job involves a lot of listening. It’s critical that as an organization, we make sure that we’re representing the collective voices of 600 plus businesses. When I came into this role, I met top to bottom with all of our annual sponsors and investors. I met with former members, current members, and prospective members, all to understand what our value proposition and our niche is out here in Lakewood Ranch. As the leader of a small but mighty team of five, I’m working on how to maximize our resources. We have a very strong volunteer base and great volunteer leadership.

In light of that, I’m looking to create a strategic plan. We turn

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20 years old in 2025. So who do we want to be in 2025? That means we’re examining aspects of membership structure, ROI for our investors, our members, ROI for our sponsors, and strong programming in the region.

WITH LAKEWOOD RANCH BEING SUCH A RAPIDLY GROWING COMMUNITY, WHAT CHALLENGES DO BUSINESSES FACE IN THIS POST-PANDEMIC CLIMATE? Not just here in Lakewood Ranch but everywhere, businesses are facing serious workforce struggles. There is a huge need for workforce of all levels, not only just in hospitality and manufacturing but also in professional services.

Everybody’s looking for talented workforce recruitment and retainment. We’ve also got our eye on affordable housing, which has a big impact on the workforce. So as you’re looking to recruit people from outside of the market here into the Lakewood Ranch region, companies are having to figure out how they’re going to be able to compete nationally. It was one thing when pre-pandemic, you might just compete with firms in the region for workforce.

From a membership based standpoint, our companies have seen phenomenal growth in some really great years.

Because of that strain on the workforce however, they have to be a little bit more strategic in how they’re participating with things outside of their office from joining groups to engaging with nonprofits, chambers of commerce, or EDCs. We have to make sure that the offerings we

have are going to be something that’s going to be worth coming out of the office for two hours and listening to.

ways in which people can participate and create even closer connections together.

WHAT ARE LAKEWOOD

DOES THAT GROWTH BRING

RANCH’S GROWTH INDUSTRIES

A LOT OF HEADWINDS FROM

For the community at large, yes. There’s definitely growth projects and infrastructural work to be done. For us as an organization, that growth makes us ask ourselves, how do we welcome all these new businesses? How do we stay relevant to them, but still create the intimate experiences and connections that this organization has been built upon?I hear from new members all the time that, “I joined Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance, and I got professional and personal connections. I was new to the area. I didn’t know anybody. And I joined a committee or I went to events and I have made some great business contracts, but I’ve also made some really great friends.”

NOW? The growth industries of Lakewood Ranch mimic what you see in Sarasota and Manatee. Something I didn’t know as much when I came out here that I’ve learned is a lot of people live in Lakewood Ranch, but they’re still connected to their firms in the Northeast or consultants or maybe not the brick and mortar that you expect.

There are still a ton of brick and mortar businesses here..but you’re also getting some business professionals that were working elsewhere and then decided to come to live in Lakewood Ranch.

From a business organization standpoint, we’re working on ways to provide businesses that are not brick and mortar with a sense of community and belonging. Doing so is critical, especially from a membership standpoint, as Lakewood Ranch continues to grow exponentially.

HOW DOES THE LWRBA ENGAGE

WHAT KINDS OF RESIDENTS

THE COMMUNITY OUTSIDE OF

AND BUSINESSES DOES

THE OFFICE? Events are a big

LAKEWOOD RANCH ATTRACT?

INFRASTRUCTURE PRESSURES LIKE YOU TALKED ABOUT?

part of it. We also have eight committees. We have really strong committee participation where people are able to get a little bit deeper dive into the Alliance. They’re able to volunteer in capacities in which they have interest. If their interest lies in public policy, maybe it’s our government affairs committee. If you’re a big people person, maybe it’s our membership committee or events committee. We’re constantly working on additional

Lakewood Ranch attracts professionals and moreover, family professionals. I was talking to somebody today who had grown up in Bradenton, moved to Boston for 10 years, and returned to Lakewood Ranch with his family. I hear that story all the time. It’s also a very active community, blossoming with different ways to engage the family. It’s funny, I was informed today that Waterside has the largest cornhole league in the country.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PRESSURES THAT THE LWRBA FACES AS YOU CONTINUE TO GROW AND ENSURE A HIGH QUALITY OF LIFE? We sit in between the Manatee County and Sarasota County Chamber of Commerce, which are both great at what they do. Back in the day when the recession was there, we all competed for money.

Now we compete for time.

Lakewood Ranch, in general, as we continue to grow, will face the same struggles that other growing communities do: roads, transportation, traffic flow, and the building of schools and other infrastructure.

HOW DOES THE LWRBA PLAN TO ADAPT TO AND COUNTERACT THOSE PRESSURES? That’s a community wide conversation, right? No single-handed membership organization is going to be able to solve some of those problems. However, in this region we all band together. In Sarasota county, we’re all part of a group called COBA: Coalition of Business Associations. That’s where the chambers, the EDCs, Gulf Coast Builders Exchange, Argus, BIA, all get together to talk about these large community issues and speak on behalf of the business community collectively. In Manatee County, we’ve started collaborating with Manatee Business Associations, a similar group with similar objectives to COBA. The greater impact that we have, the greater our reach becomes - we can then connect to our government officials, our elected leaders and let them know that we’re not just one singular group, but a collective representation of a large portion of the population.

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GET YOUR GRUB ON

DINING Another Broken Egg Café

A neighborhood favorite, Another Broken Egg offers breakfast and lunch. Get the Very French Toast topped with bananas, berries, walnuts, cinnamon and whipped cream for a sweet morning, and throw in a mango mimosa to make it even sweeter. Broken Egg offers two-forone specials on domestic beers and house wines on Friday a ernoons.

Breakfast and lunch. 6115 Exchange Way, Lakewood Ranch, 941-388-6898, @anotherbrokenegg, anotherbrokenegg.com.

ATRIA Bread+Coffee

ATRIA Bread + Coffee opened just last year with a focus on artisan sourdough breads made with whole grains. Using minimal ingredients, all bread loaves are milled in-house every morning for breakfast and lunch service and for full service catering which includes gourmet breadboard options, artisanal toasts and housemade spreads. The cafe itself encompasses a modern yet welcoming interior with specialty coffee and tea beverages, as well as baked pastry goods including muffins, cookies, scones and more.4120 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Bradenton, 941-751-1016, atria.cafe, @atria.cafe

Big Olaf Creamy

Take a stroll down Main Street and stop in this local favorite for a sweet treat. Formerly an Amish enterprise, the new owners’ commitment to quality can be found in every scoop of handmade Amare o Almond, Maple Walnut, Royal Banana Crunch, Bu er Pecan, Plantation Praline and more. Sugar-free options, sorbet and frozen yogurt are available as well.

8151 Lakewood Main St., Lakewood Ranch, 941-907-0151, @bigolafofficial, bigolaflwr.com.

Casa Maya Mexican Restaurant

Find authentic south-of-the-border flavors with a genuine Mayan emphasis at this casual dining locale.

A Guadalajara favorite, signature molcajetes serve up steak, chicken, shrimp, scallops or fish in a heated volcanic stone, mixed with grilled onions, peppers and homemade salsa and fresh tortillas. Other specials include Mayan Fajitas and enchiladas. 8126 Lakewood Main St.,

LIVING LAKEWOOD

Cra Growlers Tasting Room

Check out the first cra beer and growler pub in Sarasota/Manatee.

It is both a spot to purchase and fill 64- and 32-ounce growlers from over 45 taps to take home with you, and a casual place to hang out and down a pint as well as delicious sandwiches, beer bites and shareable items. Its cra taps are filled with a wide array of brews, ranging from Belgian-style ales to ciders, IPAs and a big selection of Florida beers. 8141 Lakewood Main St., N103, Lakewood Ranch, 941-822-8131. @cra growlers2golwr, cra growlerstogo.com.

DimSum King

Conveniently located in the UTC area, DimSum King offers a delicious assortment of small, medium and large traditional Chinese dishes and, most famously, “dim sum all day,” as their mo o declares. With its comfortable atmosphere and expansive menu, this is the perfect spot for a family dinner, date night or anything in-between. 8194 Tourist Center Dr., Bradenton, 941-306-5848, dimsumsarasota.com.

D’Lites Shoppe

D’Lites dapples in keto-friendly and gluten-free ice cream for healthy lifestyles or food allergies. They serve three kinds of cream: D’Lites, a creamy so serve that is low in carbs, sugar and calories; LUV Nice Cream, a coconut milk-based ice cream; and LUV Artisan Ice Cream, a homemade ice cream made with organic ingredients. They also offer daily specials that you’ll have to taste to believe. 8209 Natures Way #107, Lakewood Ranch, 941-362-2006, dlitesshoppe.com.

Ed’s Tavern

The friendly, neighborhood sports bar—complete with a full menu and outdoor seating area, is right next door to the movie theater. Enjoy finger foods and classic bar bites with friends while watching the game, or take a date to the cinema and follow it up with everything from burgers and flatbreads to wings, chili and entrees like the Smoked Pulled Pork Pla er, Jumbo Shrimp and House Smoked Ribs. Don’t forget to explore the rotating taps, free to play trivia nights and live music on weekends.

10719 Rodeo Dr., Lakewood Ranch, 941-907-0400, @edstavernlwr, edslakewoodranch.com.

COULD YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE ROLE THAT LAKEWOOD RANCH PLAYS IN OUR REGION? Lakewood Ranch is a huge tax base for the region, especially Manatee County, which is what the majority of the Lakewood Ranch area sits in. It’s expanding a lot more into Sarasota County with areas like Waterside. Because this area of the region is growing so fast, it’s become all the more important to have a voice in the business community. It’s why the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance was formed: because the folks in this area wanted to have a voice.

SO THEN, HOW IMPORTANT IS A PROGRAM LIKE YOUR YOUNG LEADERS ALLIANCE FOR A BURGEONING COMMUNITY LIKE LAKEWOOD RANCH? For all business

organizations, fostering that next generation of leaders is critical to long-term success. One day these members of the Young Leaders Alliance will be the ones running the company. Sometimes they already are.As you’re trying to retain talent in the region, introducing your young leaders to a group like the Alliance where they do make community connections and give them a voice in this region, hopefully makes them less likely to take a job in a different community. I hope that I can help be a representation of that. I’m 33 years old, and about to be a mother of three. I think it’s really important that our generation does have a voice in the community and that they feel like they are good community partners. And I think our YLA gives them an outlet for that. We introduce them to nonprofits. We give them professional development opportunities. We give them networking communities to build their networking base here.

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE KEY ACTIONS ARE TO POSITION LAKEWOOD RANCH AND THE BUSINESSES OF LAKEWOOD RANCH IN THE NEXT FIVE TO TEN YEARS? I think as the community continues to grow, we will want to support those businesses to truly make sure they have a voice in what are the issues that they’re facing. We have a really strong post-secondary education system here with the colleges and the universities, so how can we continue to encourage young professionals to want to stay in the area and become leaders within the business community?

In terms of recruitment, bringing people to Florida is not a problem, right? They’re coming in flocks. So, as people come into the area, how can we make sure we have the infrastructure to support them, too? I hope that we are a platform for connections, for growth, for support. I think we are really great at bringing people together, so that’s where this organization can continue to thrive. LL

Lakewood Ranch, 941-907-9449, @casamayalwr, casamayalwr.com.

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GET YOUR DINE ON

The Granary

Established in 2015 this local breakfast and lunch spot boasts a reputation to not disappoint.

Serving traditional dishes with both modern and delicious twists, hand-cra ed caffeine, mimosas and a selection of pastries you will find something to enjoy whatever time of day you visit.. Whether you indulge in a decadent breakfast of pancakes or benedicts, or fish & chips, fresh salad, soup or sandwich for lunch, there’s something here for everyone.

Ideal for families and is dog friendly.

2547 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Lakewood Ranch, 941-746-2000, thegranarylwr.com.

Grove Restaurant

This latest offshoot from the restaurateurs behind the famed Pier 22 offers a wide variety of cuisine—all with a focus on locally-sourced and fresh ingredients. Seafood lovers will find their fill amongst Shrimp N’ Grits, Stuffed Lobster and Scallop Benedict, while those craving red meat can’t go wrong with the Roast Duckling, New Zealand Rack of Lamb or the Wild Game of the Day. Save room for dessert or an a er-dinner coffee or cocktail. 10670 Boardwalk Loop, Lakewood Ranch, 941-893-4321, @grove_lwr, grovelwr.com.

Hana Sushi Lounge

Roll up expecting an artful mix of raw and refined traditional Asian cuisine—and don’t leave disappointed. Say “Aloha” (shrimp, tempura, cream cheese, mango and coconut) to “Godzilla” (spicy tuna, asparagus, eel and avocado) and “King Kong” (shrimp tempura, kani, cream cheese, scallions, spicy tuna, eel and avocado) and leave feeling “Soul Good” (shrimp, cream cheese, avocado, asparagus, salmon and garlic). For those thinking outside the roll, check out the poke bowl selection and bento box specials. 8126 Lakewood Main St., Lakewood Ranch, 941-907-1290, @hanasushilounge, hanasushiloungelwr.com.

Inkawasi Peruvian

Homestyle cooking in the Peruvian style brings ceviches, empanadas, yucca and more elements to the menu, as well as chifa--a culinary tradition fusing Cantonese Chinese with Peruvian food. The Tallarin Saltado, for example, unites wok-prepared Peruvian flame noodles with green onions, snow peas, peppers and napa cabbage, complete with chicken, beef or seafood. Our Am-

azonian fried rice is a dish you have to try, and the Lomo Saltado is a perfect mixture of two worlds. 10667 Boardwalk Loop, Lakewood Ranch, 941-360-1110, @inkawasiperuvianfood, inkawasirestaurant.com.

Libby’s Neighborhood Brasserie

Like their Hillview location, Libby’s Neighborhood Brasserie in Lakewood Ranch plates lunch and dinner daily, and celebrates with weekend brunches. The locale stylishly serves seasonal New American cuisine with sides of excellent service. If their crispy brussel sprouts, joe’s meatballs, and kale caesar aren’t enough to sell you, some of their best bo les are available half off all day on Wine Wednesdays. 8445 Lorraine Rd., 941357-1570, libbysneighborhoodbrasserie.com/menu-lakewood-ranch.

Lucky Pelican Bistro

Not only is this upscale seafood spot known for its iconic hot and cold selections, including a raw bar and fish market, innovative specials, but its ambience is enough to make this fan favorite your local go-to for lunch, dinner or takeout. 6239 Lake Osprey Dr., Sarasota, 941-907-0589, luckypelicanbistro.com.

rub, cooks it in a barbecue oven for more than 15 hours, and serves it up in a casual and friendly se ing (it’s not called Nancy’s for nothing). The only BBQ open every day, Nancy’s celebrates Free Friday Happy Hour Buffets, Family Meal Deals, and live music every Friday and Saturday night (and alternate Sundays). 14475 State Rd. 70E, Lakewood Ranch, 941999-2390. nancysbarbq.com.

Pacific Counter

A fresh fusion of chef-inspired cuisine and cultures, serving up a mainland mix of coastal classics in the form of sushi bowls and burritos in a colorful, upbeat modern cafeteria space. Select your choice of sushi rice, brown rice, noodles or mixed greens for your base, add proteins such as salmon, Krab, tuna, BBQ or baked chicken, shrimp or vegan and vegetarian options and choose to “roll it” or “bowl it”. Pacific Counter is the passion project of three long time friends who wanted to bridge the gap between the West Coast and East Coast with counter creations— they opened their first brick and mortar location in St. Petersburg, FL — the Lakewood Ranch location is their second location.11581 E State Rd 70 #109, Bradenton, 941-739-8039.

Main Street Tra oria

Find classic, Italian fine dining with an eye for artful presentation at this central hotspot. There is a bar serving Margherita Flatbread and Fried Ravioli, and casual favorites like the Meatball Sub and MST Burger.

Or go full Italiano and order up the Pollo Milanese, Salmon Piccata, MST Gnocchi or Frui i Di Mare. 8131 Lakewood Main St., Lakewood Ranch, 941-907-1518, @mainstree ra oria, mstra oria.com.

McGrath’s Irish Ale House

Paris Bistrot

This family-owned-and-operated bistro serves traditional French cuisine, directly from “Grandma’s recipes books.” Signature menu staples remain the authentic French Onion Soup, Nicoise Salad, Foie Gras, and a vast variety of quiches and dessert crepes, with many chocolate, fruit and ice cream accoutrements. 8131 Lakewood Main St., Lakewood Ranch, 941-388-0564, @parisbistrotlwr, parisbistrotlwr.com.

This neighborhood ale house offers the true taste of Ireland right here in Lakewood Ranch, where community is family. Patrons can enjoy a blend of traditional European family-inspired dishes for brunch, lunch and dinner in a contemporary atmosphere. Kick back with your loved ones for happy hour specials Monday through Friday, and let McGrath’s bring a li le piece of Ireland to you. 8110 Lakewood

Pinchers Crab Shack

Main St., Bradenton, 941-210-4398, mcgrathsirish.com.

10707 Rodeo Dr., Lakewood Ranch, 941-922-1515, @officialpinchers, pinchersusa.com/lakewood-ranchmenu.

Nancy’s Bar-B-Q Lorraine Corners The hype is right. Only

Vibrant, handpainted signs and tropical parrots abound at this downto-earth seafood shack. Decide between a boatload of mussels or addictive crab-and-cheese dip with a kick to start off your meal. Load up on shrimp scampi with secret family spices or jumbo lump crab cakes, before topping your meal off with homemade Key lime pie or a dreamy chocolate cake ice cream shake.

Nancy prepares pork shoulder with her secret-recipe 14-ingredient dry

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GET YOUR EVENTS ON SoFresh

The fast-growing Florida franchise is on a mission to bring fresh, whole foods, rooted in real ingredients.

With a trendy, fast-casual approach, the modern hangout is a go-to for a healthful lunch of salads, wraps, bowls and cold-pressed juices.

SoFresh is also a great option for diet-specific preferences, including vegan, vegetarian, keto, paleo and gluten-free. 11569 FL-70 #106, Bradenton, 941-769-9550, @welovesofresh, lovesofresh.com/location/ lakewood-ranch.

Speaks Clam Bar

With a secondary location on St. Armands, and having just announced a third in central St. Petersburg, it’s no wonder this local seafood spot is award-winning. While enjoying its vibrant bar scene and assortment of sea and land dishes, you’ll feel connected to Sarasota Bay without having to make the commute. 8764 East State Rd. 70, Lakewood Ranch, 941-2327646, speaksclambar.com/locations/ lakewood-ranch.

Tandoor Fine Indian Cuisine

This authentic restaurant serves Sarasotans a traditional Indian dining experience in a laid-back atmosphere. Tandoor’s curry is based on an old family recipe, and they use only the finest ingredients to prepare dishes that are as healthy as they are delicious. Having catered to the community since 2001, they continue to offer dine-in lunch specials Tuesday through Sunday, 50 percent off all bo les on Tandoor Tuesday, and to-go lunch boxes. 8453 Cooper Creek Blvd., Bradenton, 941-926-3077, tandoorsarasota.net.

Thai Spice & Sushi

Explore the authentic tastes of Thailand for lunch and dinner at this local favorite. Prepare your taste buds to experience an infusion of Thai flavors in the house-made curries and sauces, and an ever-changing variety of daily soups. Top off your meal with a slice of coconut cake (a family recipe). 8209 Natures Way #111, Lakewood Ranch, 941-907-4747, thaispiceoflakewoodranch.com.

Truman’s Tap and Grill

Established in 2021, Truman’s serves classic American eats in an inviting, warm atmosphere with a neighborhood feel. You can enjoy sports games over drinks at the bar or a casual meal in the restaurant dining room. This sizable tavern is open

daily for lunch and dinner, and hosts Trivia on Tuesdays, half off all premium bo les of wine on Wednesdays, Bingo on Thursdays, and live music on Friday and Saturday nights. 11161 East State Rd. 70 #100, Lakewood Ranch, 941-755-1800, trumanstap.com

Zenobia Mediterranean and Kebab Grill Toting an impressive

assortment of vegetarian appetizers, lunch specials and authentic dinner pla ers for the entire family, this Middle Eastern gem is guaranteed to satisfy your Mediterranean cravings with classics like falafel, baba ghanouj, house-made hummus and shawarma.

1857 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Bradenton, 941-900-2722, zenobia-restaurants.com.

THINGS TO DO Community Bike Ride

On the third Saturday of each month (October to March) at 8 a.m., join your Lakewood Ranch Ambassador Greg Spring for a 10-mile, one-hour casual bike ride through Lakewood Ranch.

Meet at the fountains on Main Street.

This is a great way to see the Ranch.

8131 Lakewood Main St., Lakewood Ranch, 941-907-6000, @lakewoodranchfla, lakewoodranch.com.

Community Nature Walk

On the second Saturday of each month (October to March) at 8 a.m., join your Lakewood Ranch Ambassador Greg Spring, for a two-mile, one-hour nature walk on some of the trails in Lakewood Ranch. We will meet at the Pavilion at the Greenbrook Adventure Park. You will be amazed at all of the nature you will see. 13010 Adventure Place, Lakewood Ranch, 941-907-6000, @lakewoodranchfla, lakewoodranch.com.

Farmers’ Market at Lakewood Ranch Sundays start fresh at the

Farmers’ Market at Lakewood Ranch, located in the parking lot of Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. Come experience this curated gathering of the best flavors in the region, including fresh produce, meat, artisanal bread, handcra ed jewelry and art, and prepared foods from 50-plus vendors. The event is every Sunday, year-round, from 10 am to 2 pm.. 8330 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Lakewood Ranch, on Instagram @themarketlwr and on Facebook @FarmersMarketLWR, themarketlwr.com.

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LIVING LAKEWOOD

WRITTEN BY ABBY WEINGARTEN | PHOTO BY WYATT KOSTYGAN

A LUXE DREAM GARAGE DELIGHTS LOCAL CAR COLLECTORS AND ENTHUSIASTS

Car Utopia

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This spread: David Sloan on location where the garage will be alongside a Mustang and Viper. For more information on Luxe Dream Garage and to reserve a unit, visit luxedreamgarage.com.

CAR COLLECTING JUST GOT EVEN COOLER. In Lakewood Ranch, a Luxe Dream Garage is currently mid-development and in major demand.

Locals are already making reservations for spots in this customizable private motor condo complex. It is essentially slated to be a private community of car (as well as RV and boat) collectors looking to store their most prized possessions and savor some camaraderie. “The response and interest have been very gratifying,” says David Slone, who is a founding partner of Luxe Dream Garage along with Mike McKinney. “There is a large car enthusiast community here. Just go to one of the many car shows around town and see up to 400 cool cars in one place.” Soon, that “one place” to see car eye candy will be located off Interstate 75 and University Parkway, just blocks away from the newly-opened Waterside at Lakewood Ranch.

Luxe Dream Garage project consists of 65 totally customizable units of varying sizes (and they may ultimately be filled with about 300 to 400 cars). Construction is scheduled to begin on July 1, with the first units to be occupied by the end of 2022. A private, two-story, 3,000-square-foot luxury clubhouse will also be completed within the same timeframe.

“The problem many enthusiasts have is where to safely store their cars, RVs, boats or motorcycles when their home garage just falls short,” the founders say, adding that every luxury, highline and exotic brand of car will be represented at the garage. This project solves that dilemma, with style.

The founders invite incomers to “work, play, chill and escape the everyday grind” by joining the community, adding, “the dream is real.”

And launching this garage has been a dream of Slone and McKinney— who both come from a building and developing background—for quite a while. Their team has 70 years of combined development and construction experience, and they have two equity partners that run many successful area businesses. Back in 1984, Slone started a custom home company and built hundreds of residences throughout the next two decades. He completed the 102-unit luxury Hamburg Park townhomes, as well as a $20-mllion business park called Hamburg Business Center. McKinney has owned and managed his own construction company for 30 years and built projects in excess of $35 million. Both Slone and McKinney have a shared passion for cars, too. They know the value of creating a community to fit likeminded people.

“The one problem that is consistent with most collectors is storage, and we wanted to fix that problem here in Lakewood Ranch for at least a few,” the founders say. “There is nothing like this in Lakewood Ranch, but these garages are popping up all over Florida (and the country, for that matter).

It has been very well received so far by the local community. There has been overwhelming acceptance and interest in the project, and we are already 50 percent sold out.” A standard unit is 1,000 to 1,280 square feet, and deluxe units run from 1,200 to 1,536 square feet. These are fully air-conditioned spaces with large overhead doors, impact windows, security locks, vehicle lifts and wet bars. The garage is gated with security features and private access, and the units are made from concrete and steel to withstand Category 4 storms. There will be a private owners’ club and mingling events at the clubhouse, a detail bay, an RV service area, and monthly co-owner dues are about $200.

There is even a philanthropic component to the project, which is greatly important to founders and members. For any units that were reserved by the time of the Exotic Car Show on Lakewood Ranch Main Street, Luxe Dream Garage donated $250 to “Flight to the North Pole,” an organization that brings holiday cheer to terminally ill children. LL srq magazine_ LIVING LAKEWOOD SPRING 2022 live local | 21

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ITALIAN ARTIST LUCA MANCINI CREATES A MURAL OF LEONARDO DA VINCI’S THE ANNUNCIATION ON THE CEILING OF A LAKE CLUB HOME

Modern Day Michelangelo

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Connect: For more information on the artist Mancini, visit manciniluca.it. For more information on Da Mimmo Tours of Italy, visit damimmotours.com.

NICKNAMED A “MODERN-DAY MICHELANGELO” BY HIS DEVOTED CLIENTELE, LUCA MANCINI an artist from Italy—came to Lakewood Ranch in the winter for a stunning commission. Throughout early January, Mancini painted a mural of The Annunciation by Leonardo da Vinci on the ceiling of Mary Ann Cricchio’s Lake Club home.

Cricchio—who guides small groups through the Amalfi Coast, Tuscany, Sicily and Venice with her agency, Da Mimmo Tours of Italy—discovered Mancini while living abroad.

“I brought him here from Italy to my newly-constructed home to reproduce a mural of The Annunciation on the ceiling of my great room,” Cricchio says. “I have come to realize that this is a phenomenon for my friends and neighbors. I believe it is because they are just not used to seeing something like this in the United States of America, especially in Lakewood Ranch.”

Mancini was the ideal artist to make this happen, Cricchio says. He was born in the province of Asti, Italy, and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Turin. He has worked as a figurative painter and interior designer and, throughout the past two decades, worked on projects throughout Turin, Milan, Liguria, the French Riviera and the Amalfi Coast.

Cricchio’s neighbors have absolutely marveled at Mancini’s rendering, she says.

The Lake Club is one of Lakewood Ranch’s most exclusive villages—with custom estate residences inside the gated community— and Mancini’s art adds another level of luxury to Cricchio’s home.“My neighbors have stopped in to see him. I just think it’s such a rarity for Americans to see this,” Cricchio says. “I know Europeans see a lot of churches and palaces but this is really, really interesting to Americans here.”

Cricchio has lived in Lakewood Ranch for less than two years, having relocated from Baltimore, Maryland. She moved to the area with her son, Mimmo, after selling the family’s Italian restaurant, Da Mimmo, in the Little Italy section of Baltimore. Mary Ann Cricchio settled into her new Lake Club home at the end of December 2021.

Cricchio and her late husband, Domenico “Mimmo” Cricchio, were well-known in the Little Italy community of Baltimore for decades. Their restaurant featured signature veal chops, and the locale was famed for sending limos to bring diners to their tables. Da Mimmo

hosted numerous famous entertainers and sports legends, whose photographs lined the restaurant’s Roman Cocktail Lounge. Mary Ann Cricchio worked in the hospitality industry for 42 years and ran her restaurant for 36 years. She served as the chair of both the Restaurant Association of Maryland and of Hospitality and Tourism for the State of Maryland. She sat on the board of the National Restaurant Association, and even represented the United States in an advisory capacity during the Beijing Olympics Committee prior to the 2008 Olympic Games. Her religion has also been a massive part of her life.

“I am a devout Roman Catholic, and I believe that my faith has been the base of our strong family foundation for so many years, even after losing my husband (and Mimmo’s father) in 2003,” Cricchio says. “As such, the project of painting Leonardo da Vinci’s The Annunciation in my home is a way I feel I am honoring God for all the blessings he has bestowed upon us.”

Mancini first painted for Cricchio in her summer home on Italy’s Amalfi Coast; the commission was a depiction of Italian artist Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam.

The original fresco painting by Michelangelo, which forms some of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, was created between 1508 and 1512.

It illustrates the Biblical creation narrative from the Book of Genesis, in which God gives life to the first man, Adam.

“I was thoroughly impressed with Luca’s work and dedication to the job at hand,” Cricchio says of the painting. “It was a no brainer to bring him to Lakewood Ranch so he could replicate another famous work for my home here.” The Annunciation project was finished in mid-February, before Mancini returned to Italy to complete a “14 stations of the cross”

commission, Cricchio says. “It has been very exciting to experience the development of this mural on a daily basis with an artist of Luca Mancini’s caliber,” Cricchio says. “He has created for me a memory of its development and a work of art in my home that will last for the rest of my life.” But the significance of the piece goes even deeper than that for Cricchio, she says. The Annunciationwas created by Italian Renaissance artist da Vinci between 1472 and 1476. It depicts what was a popular biblical subject in 15th-century Florence: the angel Gabriel announcing to Mary that she would conceive miraculously and give birth to a son (to be named Jesus and called “the Son of God”).

On his website, Mancini states that he has investigated “intimate painting connected to the human soul,” and that his paintings are characterized “by a rare realistic and poetic intensity.” That poetic intensity is evident in Mancini’s work at Cricchio’s Lakewood Ranch home—in an awe-inspiring piece that she and her family treasure. LL

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IN CONVERSATION WITH LAKEWOOD RANCH BUSINESS LEADERSWHOSE BUSINESSES ARE EXPERIENCING AND CATALYZING THE INCREDIBLE GROWTH OF THIS COMMUNITY. INTERVIEW BY WES ROBERTS | COMPILED BY BARBIE HEIT

In Conversation

SPRING 2022 EDITION

DAVID HUNIHAN CEO, LEE WETHERINGTON HOMES

SHARE WITH OUR READERS A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF, YOUR PRACTICE, AND WHAT SERVICES YOU PROVIDE. DR. LOGAN SWAIM, THE ROOTS HEALTH CENTER: My wife Laura and I are co-founders of the Roots Health Centers here in beautiful Lakewood Ranch and could not imagine a better place to be. The last two years have seen ups and downs, but we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, especially now that people are looking for alternatives in healthcare. DAVID HUNIHAN,

ALLISON IMRE OWNER AND PRESIDENT OF GRAPEVINE COMMUNICATIONS

LEE WETHERINGTON HOMES: I’m the CEO of Lee Wetherington Homes. Lee Wetherington is one of the area’s premier custom builders. He’s been building homes in this area since the mid seventies. We build luxury homes of enduring quality, value and beauty throughout Sarasota county. And we’ve been building homes in the Lakewood Ranch area since its inception. ALLISON IMRE, GRAPEVINE COMMUNICATIONS: I am the Owner and President of Grapevine Commu-

DR. LOGAN AND DR. LAURA SWAIM THE ROOTS HEALTH CENTER

nications and 2022 marks the 20th anniversary of our group.

Grapevine was founded by Angela Massaro-Fain and her partner, John Fain in Canada in 1988. The headquarters moved to Lakewood Ranch in 2005. I began my familiarity with the firm in 2007 as a vendor, and in 2017, when the previous owners decided to move onto the next chapter in their lives, I acquired the firm.

At Grapevine, our positioning statement is creative, strategic, accountable, and with that comes

the human beings who bring all of their different talents and perspectives to the table. So we don’t just put together pretty pictures, we can conceive of an effective and empirically proven method of deploying and delivering results. I would be remiss if not to mention that anybody in advertising who tells you, I can guarantee you results, I can guarantee you’re going to grow your business 100% over the year is misguiding you. What we guarantee is experience–we’re going to listen, we’re going to tell

ENGAGING READERS THROUGH STORYTELLING.

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ABOUT THE PARTICIPANTS DAVID HUNIHAN, CEO, LEE WETHERINGTON HOMES David Hunihan has over 30 years’ experience in home building and was President of Lee Wetherington Homes from 1995 to 2000.

David rejoined Lee Wetherington Homes in June 2021 a er serving as Vice President and Project Manager for Aqua, a 500+ acre, 2894 home mixed-use community in southwest Manatee.

In addition to owning his own home building company, David held leadership roles in several prestigious national home building companies including as Area President of M/I Homes and Director of Sales for Neal Communities. David has been a Licensed Florida Real Estate Instructor, a licensed soccer coach, and has extensive experience training and coaching both adults and children. Originally from New Jersey, David now resides in Bradenton, with Lauren, his wife of 27 years, and has three brilliant and beautiful daughters, Shannon, Samantha, and Ainsley. Lee Wetherington Homes, 7590 Fruitville Rd Sarasota, FL 34240, 941-9223480, lwhomes.com.

ALLISON IMRE, PRESIDENT/ CEO/OWNER, GRAPEVINE COMMUNICATIONS Allison was born and raised in Kansas City by a mother from LA and a father from New Jersey. She was o en regaled by stories of her parents’ bi-coastal upbringing that created a hard-to-suppress wanderlust. Discovering her destiny for a career in communications at an early age playing “radio” with family friend and veteran broadcaster, Pete Gabriel, she landed a coveted position with the Kansas City Royals marketing team, combining her two loves of broadcasting and sports. She has

your story, we’re going to create those raving fans and loyal customers, and we guarantee that we are going to treat your mission and your money as if it were our own.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE LAKEWOOD RANCH AND WHO YOU ARE AS A COMPANY IN THE COMMUNITY? DR. LOGAN SWAIM, THE ROOTS HEALTH CENTER: WAbout seven years ago, we were driving around Florida and we took exit 213 and saw a small town. There was a grocery store and then there was a cow pasture. There were a lot of people biking, running–they were just very active. Everyone seemed so vibrant. We decided we wanted to be in this town. When we first opened, the services that we had provided at the time were chiropractic, with a specialty in prenatal and pediatrics. Since then, we have transitioned to a larger health center and now we provide services to really meet the needs of our community. IMRE: Lakewood Ranch to me is an oasis in a metropolitan area, it’s community and commerce come together. If I want to go to Tampa and hit a Bucks game, or go to a Lightning game, or go experience some of the nightlife or the culture I can. At UTC, I can go to great restaurants, I can shop for great merchandise. I can also visit my friends who own local small businesses. At the same time, I am moments from our cultural center downtown and from world class beaches. And I live in a place where people want to vacation and I love that. As a company, we provide marketing and branding solutions, that’s what we do. The first thing that we try to impress upon people is authenticity matters. Every car dealer, every HVAC company in town wants to work with homeowners in

L I VI NG L AKEWO OD : : MARCH 2022

Lakewood Ranch because there’s a lot of them, it’s a community where it’s likely that once you get one customer your message will spread word of mouth, which is the best form of marketing there is and something you can’t buy.

So in terms of businesses wanting to infiltrate the Lakewood Ranch community, that authentic tone is what we tell them. It is understanding your audience and understanding their pain points. And we don’t sell anything, we provide solutions, that’s what we do. And that’s what people in Lakewood Ranch want more than anything.

TELL US ABOUT THE CHANGES YOU’VE SEEN SINCE YOU OPENED IN THE COMMUNITY. WHAT SORT OF EVOLUTION HAVE YOU SEEN IN LAKEWOOD RANCH SINCE THE PANDEMIC? DR.LOGAN: It’s been really great as more and more people are fleeing New York and New Jersey to come down here. The need for services and maybe what they were used to up north, really allowed us to open the doors.

Those people that are retiring and have the money to move into Lakewood Ranch didn’t want to travel outside of Lakewood Ranch.

They didn’t want to go down to Sarasota. They didn’t want to go to Bradenton. They wanted something in their backyard. And it’s great for us to be able to offer so many different services to meet their needs. DR.LAURA: To expand further, there’s a couple of things that have happened.

Obviously with the pandemic and having a lot of individuals working from home, we saw people with gut health issues because their dietary habits changed and they’re not eating what they used to.

And then we also saw a lot of foot pain, believe it or not. We’ve been helping a lot of people with plan-

tar fasciitis. And then with the new year, weight loss, we’ve been helping people with their goals for that. Our office has grown over the years, but we’re still that mom and pop shop where people like to come and have those services provided. So I think the biggest thing that sets us apart is our gentle approach to how we care for our patients. HUNIHAN: When I first moved from New York, I heard a lot of hype about this community that was coming, Lakewood Ranch. I think the original tagline was: “Lakewood Ranch, the hometown of tomorrow and the community of today.” It’s grown enormously over the years, and now we have employment centers, business centers, shopping and recreation. So you really don’t have to leave Lakewood Ranch.

Before, it seemed like a half hour to an hour journey to get there.

And now it’s where you want to be and you never have to leave.

IMRE: The pandemic changed us in terms of our perspective on relationships, and our potential influence on the advice that we can give, and our emphasis on building relationships and telling stories. In the digital universe video became almost 80% of the actionable advertising online and people were getting their news on Facebook. So we pivoted and have focused a lot more on video with genuine, authentic conversations.

And it doesn’t have to be cinematic quality, it’s just clear, simple, be bright, be brief, be gone, but genuine conversation. And so if there’s one big takeaway from the pandemic and the way we’ve operated, it’s really build your bridges by leading by example.

HOW ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING HERE NOW MAKING THE MOST OF THE LIFESTYLE EXPERIENCE? HUNIHAN: People

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lived in the Virgin Islands, Mexico, San Diego, Lake Tahoe and New Orleans before landing on the Suncoast to become Owner/ President of Grapevine Communications in April 2017. She and her husband, David, are active members of the community and are happily raising their two children, Rip and Ryan, in Lakewood Ranch. She is a graduate of the esteemed University of Kansas School of Communications and worked for 10 years as a Senior Account Executive with iHeart Media/iHeart Radio. She was recognized by Radio Ink Magazine as one of the top Account Executives in the country and was recently awarded the 2021 Bull

By The Horns - Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance, 2020 Localpreneur of the Year - SRQ Magazine, 2018 Above The Crowd Award – Sisterhood For Good, 2017 Standing Ovation Award – Share Care Global. Grapevine Communications, 5201 Paylor Lane, Sarasota, FL 34240, 941.351.0024 – Office, 941.586.4755 – Mobile, grapeinc.com LAURA S. SWAIM, DC, DOCTOR OF CHIROPRACTIC, THE ROOTS HEALTH CENTER Dr. Laura S. Swaim is a Doctor of Chiropractic and is Certified in Webster’s Technique, through the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, ICPA, which she is also a member of. From a young age, care and compassion, and a love of serving was ingrained in her. She enjoys working with children, adults, and families. Dr. Laura earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry at Gardner-Webb University. She received her Doctor of Chiropractic Degree from Life University, and graduated Cum Laude. She has extensive clinical post-graduate training in pediatrics and pregnant women. Her knowledge and experience working with pregnant women and children allow her to

moving here are looking for a place to retire, a place to have a second home, a place to relocate their family. They are looking for a home, not just a building. They want good quality healthcare.

They want to make sure that either they can have a place of employment or an easy commute, the recreation and the lifestyle of friends, the activities that they’re used to doing, or worked their whole lives so that now they can do. Lakewood Ranch is now the number one multi-generational community in the United States. It’s number two overall, behind The Villages. It really all went back to the beginning of the vision and the plan that the Uihlein family had in the eighties and with the team they put in place to develop this plan. I believe it took them almost 10 years to get all the approvals in place and get everything done. And here we are over 30 years past that initial planning phase. I think the minute people drive into Lakewood Ranch, they know it’s something different. They see the signage, the boulevards, and how pretty it is and how mature the landscaping is. And they can still get a brand new home or a resale home if they don’t want to build. They’ve done a lot to try and keep consistent value and timelessness in terms of the architectural standards. And they’ve improved as they’ve gone.

They’ve done a good job of planning, the intermix between the commercial and professional and the residential. On every corner, you have a Publix and a Starbucks and the main street downtown with restaurants and nightlife, and they’re just completing Waterside Place, and a downtown area there.

You can do everything you want here. They have literally miles and miles of trails. I just can’t imagine why anybody would want to live anywhere else.

L I VI NG L AKEWO OD : : MARCH 2022

I FEEL LIKE THAT LEADS IN, IN A LOVELY WAY TO THE DOCTORS SPEAKING TO HOW PEOPLE IN LAKEWOOD RANCH CAN TAKE THE BEST ADVANTAGE OF STAYING HEALTHY AND FIT, ESPECIALLY IN A TIME WHEN A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE STILL DISTANCING. DR. LOGAN: I had a firsthand experience this morning. I must have passed six or seven groups of bicyclists on the way into work. They have hundreds of miles of trails, streets and parks to ride. For us, that’s really nice because we’re looking for our practice members to be active, to not just go home and sit in front of the computer. We also have some great workout facilities and some big names, LA Fitness, Crunch Fitness and things like that, that do well. There’s quite a community of active people and human connection is definitely a huge part of people’s health and being outside, enjoying nature and enjoying your neighbors. It’s not just physical health when we look at it, it’s mental health, it’s emotional health, it’s spiritual health, that all gets to be brought together in this community of where we get to live every day.

AS A LOCAL ORGANIZATION, FROM A PHILANTHROPIC STANDPOINT, HOW DO YOU CONTRIBUTE TO THE PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE SO IMPORTANT TO YOU? IMRE: When the pandemic hit, I remembered that Jason Sudeikis and Paul Rudd had started an event with a bunch of other Kansas City natives called The Big Slick to benefit the children’s hospital in Kansas City. It was supposed to happen in March of 2020 and they canceled it. It was devastating because how does this organization replace their biggest fundraiser for the year? When

the pandemic hit us, in April and May of 2020 my revenue dropped 90%. And so in looking at Big Slick and watching what people in Kansas City were doing, I found inspiration. What we did here at Grapevine was not let anybody go and not reduce anybody’s salaries.

We started reaching out to nonprofits again, taking the Big Slick.

We asked “All of your biggest fundraisers for the year, your gala season is caput, how are you going to raise funds?” So we dug in and we contributed our time, talent, and treasure like we had never done before. And it was a beautiful time because even though we were broke, we were together doing good, and making an impact, and it was the right thing to do.

And so when things shifted, we came back with a vengeance and ended up being up in revenue from 2020, 38%. When the rubber hit the road, rather than pout, we said okay, this is our power, and we took advantage of it. DR. LOGAN: One of those cool things that we get to be a part of, because we do get to see so many different walks of life, so many different demographics, is talk about people’s needs and what they would like to have or what they would like to see. And sometimes it’s just in passing conversation. Sometimes it’s a practice member putting on an event that, “Hey, I really need some help with this.” We like to connect those people to put on an amazing event to give back to charity, because they didn’t know each other. So for us to be bridging the gap and also because of our patients desire to help and give back to our community is great. And when you build a reputation that people trust you, you have a certain standard to uphold. We don’t necessarily partner with everyone at this point in our career. But we’re very selective on who we get

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to pick because of the reputation that we have built with those in the community. We try to give back to different organizations to make sure that our communities’ needs are met in so many different ways, whether it’s a clothing drive, a food drive, a gift drive for underprivileged kids, whatever it may be. HUNIHAN: As a company, we’ve been blessed with so much success that it only makes sense to give back to the community.

And giving has always been a part of the Lee Wetherington Homes legacy. All our employees live here in the community, meaning the greater community of Schroeder-Manatee. A lot of us actually live in Lakewood Ranch. Lee’s been here in this area for almost 50 years. I’ve been here for 30.

This is home. So we need to take care of our home. Lee has been a tremendous supporter of the Boys & Girls Clubs here locally, which I think has been a great charity that really invests in our youth and helps people that might not otherwise get opportunities.

Lately, Lee’s been involved in rebuilding some of the Boys & Girls clubs. And in fact, we’re doing an addition right now on the Boys & Girls club in downtown Sarasota.

We have actually built some of the Boys & Girls clubs buildings locally, and worked with the other people that have donated and sponsored. And it’s a lot of people that do that, not just us obviously.

But it’s been a pleasure to be able to do that. And we feel blessed to be able to be a part of it.

TELL US A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE NEWCOMERS COMING TO THE AREA. IMRE: We’re getting more individuals moving here from New England where they used to go to the East Coast, now they’re coming here. I’m seeing more and more people from Arizo-

na and California relocating here.

So it’s not just those good Midwesterners who are making their way down to the sun coast anymore, we’re getting the bicoastal influence as well. The more people that move here I think the more opportunity it is for Lakewood Ranch and the region in general to grow. What I think I’m seeing is a tremendous focus on what those people who are enjoying good fortune right now are doing in terms of benefiting those who are less fortunate. So while we’ve been virtually the philanthropic capital of the Southeast here in Sarasota, Manatee, I think Lakewood Ranch is really spreading their wings in that respect too with the community fund becoming its own 501C3, with Sisterhood for Good becoming its own 501C3, and with the Players, the longest running arts organization in our community relocating out to this area. I think the good fortune is growing but with that the conscience is growing with it. HUNIHAN: As for our customers, we’ve seen somewhat of a change west recently, I think largely due to COVID. It used to be pretty consistent that we used to see a lot of people from the big five, like Michigan, Ohio, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, those were the consistent states that we saw moving to this area. Now we’re seeing a switch to a lot of people from California, Texas, Georgia, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, you name it. We’re seeing more people from all around the country than we’ve ever seen before. People are realizing now, with the way the real estate market is throughout the country, prices have risen. A lot of people are able to sell their homes for more than they ever expected to be able to sell them for. And they’re taking that money and although we’ve seen our real

estate prices have increased really exponentially, I think that now the median price here is probably at an all time high, but they’re still lower than some of the places where people are coming from. So people from New York, California, they’re getting a bargain. So they sold their houses and they’re coming down here and not only buying a new home, but they’re pocketing some money on top of that. And so we’re seeing buyers really of all walks of life. Our target market, I would say, has been, a luxury, affluent home buyer looking for maybe their retirement home or second home, or their first Florida home. DR. LOGAN: What our office offers specifically is different, at least from a chiropractic standpoint. We don’t do any twisting, popping or cracking.

So that’s weird for a lot of people who are used to the chiropractor they’ve been going to for 40 years, who only did one thing. And that was it. And the fact that we’re different is intriguing and it excites them. So as far as age groups, we’ve always seen pregnant moms and babies, all the way to retirees.

Now it’s just people from different areas of the country who we get to see. We have a large pediatric office and see a lot of kids, but lately, we’ve been seeing a lot more retirees. I recently wrote a book that’s appealed to many new patients, The Truth about Reversing Neuropathy Now: A Cutting Edge Approach to Reversing Peripheral Neuropathy Naturally. So to be a proactive standpoint in reversing some of the chronic conditions that people have that are overwhelming our medical system right now, if there’s a natural way that doesn’t require drugs and surgery, I think that’s a better option and outcome long term for quality of life. DR. LAURA: A lot of those neuropathy patients that Dr.

provide the highest quality care. Dr. Laura is also Certified Advanced Proficient in Torque Release Technique and Auriculotherapy.

Drs. Logan and Laura were drawn to Lakewood Ranch, Florida and knew this was a community in need of natural health solutions.

Since the inception of The Roots Health Centers, Drs. Logan and Laura continually strive to give back and be active in the community. ICPA Webster’s Certified, Advanced Certified Proficient in Torque Release Technique (TRT) LOGAN W. SWAIM, MS, DC, BCN, NEUROPATHY SPECIALIST, THE ROOTS HEALTH CENTER Dr. Logan W. Swaim is a board-certified neuropathy specialist who, together with his wife, Dr. Laura S. Swaim owns a family run practice that is commi ed to delivering results for people to reverse their neuropathy naturally. Dr. Logan brings a tremendous amount of compassion and dedication to every patient he treats and provides care for all ages. He is proud of his knowledge and focus on natural health, wellness and prevention. Dr. Logan completed his training at Gardner-Webb University (B.S. in Biology), Life University (Doctor of Chiropractic and Master’s degree in Sport Health Science) and American College of Physical Medicine (Board Certification in Neuropathy). He is a member of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, ICPA and is Advanced Certified Proficient in Torque Release Technique (TRT).

Dr. Logan W. Swaim is an Author and has released his new book about a cu ing-edge approach how to reverse neuropathy naturally titled The Truth About Reversing Neuropathy. Masters in Sport Health Science, Doctor of Chiropractic, Board Certified in Neuropathy, ICPA Webster’s Certified, Advanced Certified Proficient in Torque Release Technique (TRT)

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IN CON VERS AT ION

Logan mentions, they don’t want to or are unable to travel to their medical provider. So Dr. Logan has been able to do virtual consultations with individuals in their own house and he’s able to drop ship what they need.

WHAT ARE THE TRENDS WE ARE SEEING IN THE HOME-BUILDING INDUSTRY THESE DAYS? HUNIHAN: I think the big change you’ll see from a construction standpoint is a redesign of the housing and the living space to accommodate more utilitarian, more workspace, more common use spaces, and frankly, a little bit more compartmentalizing than we’ve had. So we are seeing some more segmentation, maybe rooms that can be used for multiple purposes, maybe a formal dining room that has glass doors that can also double as a second office or a classroom during the day, if need be. And I also think we’ll see home house filtration, in terms of the air quality and those kinds of things pick up. We recently were approached by a company that has an air filtration system that was developed for NASA. If you get one of these units in your house and start it running, you could not get an airborne illness because it filters the air that well, that it just kills everything on all the surfaces and in the air, within the space that it works. And we’re looking at how we can hook that up to an air conditioning system for the home, rather than just have a portable unit, to be able to offer those things for our customers going forward.

WHAT ARE THE TRENDS WE ARE SEEING IN THE HOME-BUILDING INDUSTRY THESE DAYS? HUNIHAN: I think the big change you’ll see from a construction standpoint is a redesign of the housing and the living space to

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accommodate more utilitarian, more workspace, more common use spaces, and frankly, a little bit more compartmentalizing than we’ve had. So we are seeing some more segmentation, maybe rooms that can be used for multiple purposes, maybe a formal dining room that has glass doors that can also double as a second office or a classroom during the day, if need be. And I also think we’ll see home house filtration, in terms of the air quality and those kinds of things pick up. We recently were approached by a company that has an air filtration system that was developed for NASA. If you get one of these units in your house and start it running, you could not get an airborne illness because it filters the air that well, that it just kills everything on all the surfaces and in the air, within the space that it works. And we’re looking at how we can hook that up to an air conditioning system for the home, rather than just have a portable unit, to be able to offer those things for our customers going forward.

DR. LAURA AND ALLISON, AS MOMS, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT LAKEWOOD RANCH, THE COMMUNITY YOU’VE CHOSEN FOR YOUR CHILD’S HOME? DR.LAURA: I absolutely love it, I just feel like we’re such a tightknit community in Lakewood Ranch. There’s always something to do here. And I’m always meeting other new moms. There are just so many new families and it seems everyone’s just looking to make friends. IMRE: When we first moved to Lakewood Ranch in February I was pregnant and as we were moving in, I remember everyone was so nice and made a point, and even during COVID to say ‘hi, welcome to the neighborhood’. There were kids out riding bikes, people walking dogs. LL

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