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10 reopened Tampa Bay businesses to shop for Mother’s Day gifts

Some local stores are open again, with safety guidelines in place.
 
This sassy beach bag is among the unusual gift ideas found at Zazoo'd.
This sassy beach bag is among the unusual gift ideas found at Zazoo'd. [ Courtesy of David Fischer ]
Published May 5, 2020|Updated May 5, 2020

Still need to do some shopping for Mom this weekend? Here are ideas for local spots to browse.

Sweeten her up with treats from Schakolad

Chocolate-filled high heels from Schakolad make a sweet Mother's Day gift. [ Courtesy of Jane Rakestraw ]

Jane Rakestraw, owner of Schakolad Chocolate Factory’s St. Petersburg location, said they had a line at the shop when it opened on Monday, but that’s because they’re only allowing two customers in at a time. In April, the shop donated chocolates to healthcare workers at St. Anthony’s Hospital for their children’s Easter baskets. Now they’re focused on Mother’s Day, making chocolates for scrumptious gift baskets and chocolate high heels, which are filled with more chocolates and truffles. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday. 401 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. (727) 892-2400. schakolad.com.

Give work by local artists from Marion’s

Gift shop Marion’s has been a presence on St. Petersburg’s Fourth Street for more than 30 years. In addition to clothing, candles, wine glasses and puzzles — all great gift contenders — the shop also sells artwork by three local artists who work there. They refer to their work as “Joy Drops.” Corie Hill paints wooden crosses, Cheryl Montanari paints animals on blocks, and Amanda Hardin paints local landmarks. You can buy prints of these works at the shop. Bonus: The store offers free gift wrapping, and there are shipping and delivery options. You can take a virtual tour of the shop on the website. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday. 1401 Fourth St. N. (727) 821-2345. marions4thstreet.com.

Pick up an arrangement from Hayes Florist

Pick up a Mother's Day arrangement at Hayes Florist in Pinellas Park. [ Courtesy of Hayes Florist. ]

The Pinellas Park florist has been able to stay in business during the pandemic shutdown by doing deliveries. Now they’ve reopened to the public for “carry-out” arrangements and scheduled pickups. Owner Diane Cherry said they have laid out the showroom with distancing markers. Employees wear masks, and ask that customers also wear masks or cloth face coverings. They will be open on Mother’s Day, which is unusual for them, but great for anyone who needs a last-minute bouquet. If you prefer to have the arrangement delivered, they ask that you shop from the Mother’s Day category on their website, as they expect flower supplies to be limited. 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday- Friday, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday. 5444 Park Blvd. N. (727) 544-8847. hayesflorist.net.

Find something unique at Zazoo’d

David Fischer, who owns the funky home decor and gift shop Zazoo’d in downtown St. Petersburg, said the store got some traffic when they reopened on Monday, but never more than four people at a time. The shop is brimming with all kinds of things that make great gifts, including charcuterie boards, fun drink “sweaters” that go over bottles, cheeky cards, s’mores roasting kits and sassy beach bags. They’re currently having a 25 percent off sale. Staff are wearing masks, and online shopping is also an option. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, noon-4 p.m. Sunday. 531 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. (727) 344-9663. zazood.com.

Give fine art from Syd Entel Galleries

Faceted perfume bottles by Tom Philabaum are available at Syd Entel Galleries in Safety Harbor. [ Courtesy of Syd Entel Galleries ]

The beauty of some small businesses like Syd Entel Galleries and Susan Benjamin Glass is that they rarely draw large crowds, said gallery manager Linda Gagliostro. So they’re open to the public again, but are following all the guidelines, offering masks to customers and mitigating the amount of people in the gallery by taking appointments. The gallery is about to celebrate its 40th anniversary and has hosted prestigious artists including Peter Max. Gagliostro has kept customers engaged on social media with images of the artwork in the gallery. The gallery carries paintings, glass art, jewelry and artist-made glass perfume bottles, pictured, any of which would make impressive gifts. 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. 247 Main St., Safety Harbor. (727) 725-1808. sydentelgalleries.com.

Find books and other gifts at Oxford Exchange

Books are for sale at the Oxford Exchange store in Tampa. [ Tampa Bay Times ]

The Oxford Exchange in Tampa plans to reopen May 6. Reservations will be required for dining in at the restaurant, which will be limited to 25 percent of its usual occupancy. Mother’s Day brunch is already booked up. The bookstore and the shop are reopening as well. Customers will be asked to maintain a six-foot distance from each other while they shop from a selection of books, jewelry, bar items and cards. Buddy Brew Coffee and TeBella Tea Company will be open too, with the same social distancing requirements. The Warby Parker eyewear store at the entrance of the building is not expected to open yet. The restaurant’s hours are 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. The shop and bookstore are open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Sunday. 420 W Kennedy Blvd., Tampa. (813) 253-0222. oxfordexchange.com.

Bling it up at the Gold & Diamond Source

Julie Weintraub of the Gold & Diamond Source opened Monday to a line of customers patiently waiting to shop. “We’re so thankful,” said Weintraub, who owns the jewelry store with her husband, Steve. “The phones have been ringing off the hook and, thankfully, we’ve had a nice steady flow of good, safe people that are so happy to be able to come and select gifts.” The Weintraubs have installed plexiglass barriers for customers who need to meet with sales staffers and removed chairs that would have allowed shoppers to sit too close together. They have masks for themselves and for customers and give both the option of wearing them, along with gloves if requested. Hand sanitizer is available throughout the store and workers are constantly wiping down surfaces. Legally, Weintraub said the store could let in more than 200 customers at a time, based on the 11,000-square-foot size of the building, but she is planning to stay well below that number. If the store gets too busy for her comfort level, she will offer customers a drink and ask them to wait outside or in their cars. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday. 3800 Ulmerton Road, Clearwater. (727) 573-9351. goldanddiamond.com.

Go all “mommy and me” at the Pink Palm

Sara Katherine Ennis at her store Pink Palm in 2019. [ Times (2019) ]

Sara Katherine Ennis of the Pink Palm boutique in Tampa reopened Monday and is following safety guidelines including six-foot distancing and a five-person limit in the store. “We’re also asking that everyone wear a mask,” she said. While Ennis was shipping items from her Lilly Pulitzer signature store during the shutdown, she said customers were shopping Monday for Mother’s Day items. “Anything ‘mommy and me’ is popular,” she said, referring to the matching Lilly Pulitzer brand dresses for mothers and daughters. She also sells Lilly beachwear, including coverups and bags, coolers and cups. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Saturday. 1532 S Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa. (813) 259-9780. pinkpalmtampa.com.

Give the gift of self-care at Emelia’s Apothecary of Dunedin

Bundles of lavender, wildflowers, sweetgrass and sage mingle, for sale at Emilia's Apothecary, 350 Main St. Suite A, Dunedin. [ DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Tampa Bay Times ]

Owner Elisha Smith was busy cleaning her store Monday to open Wednesdays through Saturdays, beginning this week. “We just want people to be comfortable. We have signs in the store for where to stand and we are limiting to three people in the store at a time,” she said. While Smith has been mailing items to her regular customers, she said Mother’s Day is second only to Christmas in terms of traffic for Emelia’s, named for her daughter. She has lavender and wildflower dried floral bundles pre-packaged with scented candles or specialty teas, plus locally made soaps and scented lotions. “Self-care items in general are very popular because everybody is stressed out right now,” said Smith. She also has special tea leaves for helping Mom relax, including “Om,” “Uplifting” and “Indigo Dream” blends. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday. 350 Main St., Dunedin. (727) 281-4497. emeliasapothecary.com.

Give loungewear and candles from Canvas

Canvas owners Shelby Pletcher and Michelle Whiting reopened Tuesday to customers in St. Petersburg (1535 Fourth St. N) and are open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays at their Hyde Park Village store (800 S Village Circle). It’s appointment only for at least a week or so, until the larger tenants in the shopping center reopen. “We are here doing a lot of cleaning and making sure we sanitize everything after customers leave, including the sitting room and clothes hangars,” said Whiting. After having to let go of 15 employees, the two are operating the businesses by themselves for the time being. They have spent the past month driving around making deliveries to customers who made purchases online. The free, local deliveries will continue, as well as curbside pickups. The store is offering touch-free checkouts and emailing or texting receipts. Pletcher and Whiting are wearing masks if customers prefer, although they are not requiring customers to wear them. When they closed the businesses a few weeks ago, Whiting said they canceled all their inventory orders, except the items they purchased for Mother’s Day. “We have really great loungewear sets and we have eight styles to chose from,” she said. They also stocked up on some scented candles that can be bundled as gifts. The store offers free gift wrapping as well. shopcfg.com