- April 25, 2024
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An international import/export shop offering items from Southeast Asia has opened at 611 S. Yonge St. Bill and Jasmin Butcher previously sold their wares in Nicole’s Beach Street Mall but outgrew their space and have opened the new shop in Ormond Oaks Plaza, closer to their Ormond Beach home.
They are still adding inventory, and expect a large shipment soon from Thailand. Bill Butcher said he travels to Asia and orders items from manufacturers, which allow lower pricing. He likes to acquire items that can’t be found in other stores.
Merchandise includes home décor, gifts and unique items such as wine glass holders. They also have jewelry, and Jasmin Butcher sold jewelry in the Philippines for 10 years.
Butcher likes the new location, saying the mall has a lot of foot traffic.
Visit authentictraders.com
More restaurants may offer liquor
There may be a few more places in town to get a mixed drink, if the City Commission follows through with a recommendation made by the Planning Board at their Dec. 13 meeting.
At the request of an attorney representing Tipsy Taco Cantina, 746 S. Atlantic Ave., the board members voted to recommend changing the city code regarding alcoholic beverage licenses to match changes made by the state of Florida in 2016.
The City Commission will vote on the change in two readings, Jan. 23 and Feb. 5.
The city requirement to serve spirits now states that an establishment must have 2,500 square feet and 150 seats. The revised requirement states the business must have 2,500 square feet and is equipped to serve 150 persons, which means it has an allowed fire occupancy for 150 persons and not necessarily that many seats. The new law also allows outdoor dining areas to be included in the square footage.
Restaurants that serve only beer and wine are Type B and restaurants that can serve beer, wine and spirits are Type A.
Becky Weedo, senior planner for the city, said she did not know how many restaurants in Ormond Beach could apply to become Type A. There could be other obstacles. For example, in addition to having a capacity for 150 persons, there would need to be adequate parking for that many people.
“It’s a huge process,” she said about applying for a license.
Lena Lux, general manager of Tipsy Taco Cantina, said they already offer margaritas made with a wine-based tequila, and want to offer mixed drinks such as rum and coke.
“Not everybody drinks wine and beer,” she said.
Board member G.G. Galloway said he approved making the change, saying it may result in high quality restaurants opening in the city.
City staff recommended approval of the change, and City Attorney Randy Hayes said it was really a housekeeping matter because the city should change the ordinance to match the state.
Board Chairman Doug Thomas asked Hayes if the city automatically revised laws to match changes made by the state and Hayes said the city tires to keep up with them.
Also at the meeting, in his report to the Planning Board, Planning Director Steve Spraker said next year they will probably be looking at food trucks and medical marijuana, which will be topics for City Commission workshops early in the year.
Money sought for aging
Council on Aging of Volusia County has launched a year-end fundraising campaign, Empowering Seniors: Promoting Independence and Enriching Lives, with the goal of raising $25,000.
“Seniors age 65 and over are the fastest-growing age group in Volusia County and constitute nearly one-fourth of the population,” said Sarah Gurtis, CEO and president of COA.
During the past year, COA delivered nearly 150,000 meals, provided 89,000 hours of respite care and spent more than 57,000 hours assisting with in-home services. The COA recently moved into a new location at 420 Fentress Blvd. The long-time office on Beach Street was rendered uninhabitable by Hurricane Irma in 2017.
To donate, visit coavolusia.org; call 386-253-4700, ext. 215; or mail a check made out to COA to 420 Fentress Blvd., Daytona Beach, Fla. 32114.
Florida hospital gets new leader
Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center has selected David Weis to serve as chief operating officer. Weis most recently served as vice president of operations and chief operating officer for Adventist Health Ukiah Valley in Northern California.
He began his career as a physical therapist at Adventist Health Ukiah Valley and later became the operations manager of rehabilitation services. He was promoted to assistant vice president of operations and later became president of operations and COO.
