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Healthy eating on the menu and a gym next door

 
The Nutrition Factory founders Michael Youssef and Joseph Galloway stand in front of the new location. Photo courtesy of The Nutrition Factory.
The Nutrition Factory founders Michael Youssef and Joseph Galloway stand in front of the new location. Photo courtesy of The Nutrition Factory.
Published Feb. 20, 2017

As kids, Michael Youssef and Joey Galloway played against one another on the high school football field.

Though it was competition that brought them together, the boys who lived on opposite sides of the Ohio river, became lifelong best friends.

As adults, Galloway remained on the field, playing in the NFL for 16 years, while Youssef went on to become a doctor.

Both in the business of fitness and health, they founded The Nutrition Factory in 2014.

On Feb. 25 they will open a location at 3251 W Hillsborough Ave and debut a new food menu.

"It's kind of something I've been passionate about my whole life," Youssef said. "Joey has gotten more and more passionate about it over the years. In his career and playing days, he's developed and gotten more in tune with health and nutrition.

"We've both seen a lot of concepts out there that offer fast casual shakes and healthy food. They would say it's healthy food but what healthy means to one person, may not mean the same to someone else."

So, the duo took bits and pieces from different concepts they liked as customers and incorporated their original ideas into what became The Nutrition Factory.

"Over the years when I used to study for medical school, I'd be locked up for 16 hours a day and I'd make different types of shakes. It became a hobby of mine, so many of the recipes have roots in that," Youssef said.

Together, they fine tuned the recipes with Galloway adding brand new creations as well.

For three years, smoothies and shakes dominated the menu, that was until the Hillsborough Ave. location.

Now a menu on the wall lists which ingredients are gluten free, paleo friendly, low carb and which ones fall under a certain gram of fat.

"It's not up to us to decide what the healthy or right diet for an individual is. We just want to offer quality ingredients for people to put together their perfect meal," Youssef said.

The Nutrition Factory will be open daily starting Feb. 25 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.

For more information call, (813) 280-9659.

In 2008, three brothers made the move from California to Tampa and brought their love of fitness with them by opening Powerhouse Gym Athletic Club in downtown.

On Feb. 25 they will celebrate the grand opening of their second location at 3251 W Hillsborough Ave.The new facility, which held a soft opening on Nov. 18, is an enlarged version of the downtown gym, offering 50,000 square feet of athletic training space.

The trio of brothers, Eddy and Matthew Midyett and John Sanguinetti, created a new space.

The new location features a boxing area, speed and agility area, fitness classes and more. It also caters more toward sports-specific training, while the downtown location is fitness centered.

The Nutrition Factory and Powerhouse Gym Athletic Club will have a joint grand opening celebration from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Feb. 25. Enjoy free workouts, product samples, giveaways and specials. Listen to live music by a DJ and browse vendors with table top displays.