Flower Child, a fast-casual restaurant known for its fresh, healthy fare and upbeat atmosphere, has officially opened its doors in Lakewood Ranch—marking the brand’s first location in Florida.

Vice President of Operations Dave Luz, who oversees the entire Flower Child brand under Fox Restaurant Concepts, spent the opening week in May onsite with his team, ensuring a smooth launch. The brand, which currently has 41 locations nationwide, was founded in 2014 by Phoenix-based restaurateur Sam Fox, who set out to create a vibrant, health-focused dining experience. Flower Child offers scratch-made meals served quickly in a welcoming, bright, feel-good setting—delivering what the brand calls “positively delicious vibes.”

While the ordering process at Flower Child does resemble that of a fast-food restaurant –guests walk up to the counter to place their order—the experience is anything but typical. Each dish is freshly prepared on the line, similar to what you'd expect in a full-service restaurant kitchen. The menu is thoughtfully crafted to ensure quick, efficient service without compromising on quality.

“Most of our cooks have gone to culinary school and often come from full-service backgrounds,” says Luz. “The menu avoids overly complicated dishes to ensure timely preparation so that the food gets to the table within 10 minutes.”

Everything on the menu at Flower Child is made in-house, using the freshest ingredients available. “Our motto is ‘healthy food for a happy world,’ but we’re not considered health food. We serve delicious, nutritious food that's super responsible regarding calories,” explains Luz. “You can eat at our store five days a week and feel great about yourself, eat super clean with low calories, or you can come and indulge. We try to appeal to every kind of dietary need–vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free–we try to make sure there's something for everyone.”

To fully appreciate what Flower Child is all about, Luz recommends dining in, especially for the first time. “When you dine with us and you see that you order your food and it’s delivered to you in just ten minutes, you’re amazed. That’s where our magic happens,” he says. More than half of their business, however, is in to-go orders, which can be created through the app or ordered in-house and taken out. They also have a very robust catering business, which is a great option for corporate events.

The Flower Child team has been looking to get into the Florida market for some time and Luz shares that he’s glad they were patient and waited for just the right opportunity to come to Sarasota. “Our best locations are always in areas like Lakewood Ranch, where the community is growing and the people are super engaged, diverse and active,“ he says. “I just know this location will be great for us.”

Flower Child, 6532 University Parkway, Suite 160, Sarasota, 941-373-0199, iamaflowerchild.com/ 

HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital and its three freestanding emergency rooms (HCA Florida Tamiami Trail Emergency, HCA Florida Cape Coral Emergency, HCA Florida West Fort Myers Emergency) are proud to join the nation in celebrating National Emergency Medical Services Week, recognizing the dedication, sacrifice and life-saving work of first responders and EMS professionals who serve our communities with unwavering courage and compassion.To honor these everyday heroes, the hospital and its freestanding locations are hosting a week-long series of events to express appreciation for local paramedics, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), firefighters and other emergency personnel who are first on the scene in moments of crisis. 

For the second consecutive year, Christopher Alan Homes has been recognized among the nation’s top 100 homebuilders, ranking 94th on Zonda’s 2025 Builder 100 list. The company closed 580 homes in 2024, surpassing its prior year performance and completing nearly 3,000 homes since its 2017 inception. Zonda is the leading provider of comprehensive market data and insights for the residential homebuilding industry. Its annual list looks at the top 100 homebuilders across the U.S., ranked by closings. The list is populated from responses to its annual survey and includes the companies’ gross revenue from homebuilding operations and where and what they built. 

Shumaker’s Managing Partner and Chair of the Management Committee, Jennifer B. Compton, has earned her Certificate of Completion from Harvard Law School Executive Education’s Leadership in Law Firms (LLF) program. This prestigious program is by application only and is designed specifically for senior law firm leaders and provides advanced training in the core competencies required to successfully lead professional service firms in an evolving legal landscape. The intensive six-day program draws on Harvard’s world-class faculty and case-based learning model to equip law firm leaders with practical strategies for balancing professional responsibilities, driving strategic planning, improving organizational alignment, managing growth and change, and motivating teams. 

Local independent brokerage Michael Saunders & Company held its annual Sales Summit at The ORA in Sarasota on May 15th. Presented in a new all-day format, the event brought together associates from across the Suncoast for a dynamic day of insights, innovation, and inspiration tailored to today’s shifting real estate market.The event opened with powerful remarks from company founder and CEO Michael Saunders, who reminded agents that market conditions don’t define success—mindset does. 

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Here’s a new way to learn about a range of landscaping approaches, conservation initiatives, solar options and more at UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County: a virtual tour. The tour consists of 19 distinct stops — with more to be added — set around the Extension complex at which visitors can use their smartphone, tablet or other web-connected device to watch a short video sharing information about the station. Start touring at the Extension office or via tiny.cc/ufsaraext_virtualtour. Or, visit tiny.cc/ufsaraext_virtualtourpage for more information. Questions? Call 311 (or, 941-861-5000 outside Sarasota County) or email sarasota@ifas.ufl.edu. 

Big Waters Land Trust is delighted to announce the permanent conservation of five lots totaling 1.34 acres in the City of Cape Coral. The City received a grant from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) in partnership with the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida, Inc. to acquire these lots, and more in the future, to ensure the permanent protection of the land. Big Waters Land Trust will hold the conservation easement while the City will own and manage the properties in partnership with the Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife. 

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This Memorial Day, as Sarasota Memorial Hospital reflects on its past, it honors the Sarasota and U.S. military men and women whose service and sacrifice inspired its name. The original 32-bed facility, first named Sarasota Hospital, opened its doors in 1925. It was the area’s first modern hospital, built with $40,000 in community donations, thanks to the strong convictions and sheer grit of Sarasota’s early leaders. According to hospital archives, the name “Sarasota Memorial Hospital” first surfaced on June 8, 1945, when members of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and other community leaders gathered at the home of Lewis Van Wezel “to discuss a suitable living memorial to honor all veterans.” From that discussion, the Sarasota County War Memorial Advisory Committee formed, according to historical accounts in Sarasota Memorial’s 100-year history book, A Century of Caring. U.S. Navy veteran Wilfred “Willie” Robards was chosen to lead the committee and a city-wide campaign to raise $200,000 for a new hospital. The committee erected a sign with a huge thermometer on the corner of the Palmer Bank at Five Points to color in and track the funds raised. 

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Christopher Alan Homes has announced the promotion of Carlos Gilkey to vice president of sales and marketing, recognizing his leadership and performance in driving the company’s continued sales momentum and market growth. In his new role, Gilkey leads the strategic vision for all sales and marketing initiatives across the company’s growing footprint in Southwest and East Central Florida, driving revenue and supporting home sales. For more information about Christopher Alan Homes, visit christopheralanhomes.com or call 855-44-MYCAH (69224). 

Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt A. Hoffman is pleased to announce that Captain Jeffrey Vajdik graduated on May 23 from the Florida Sheriffs Association’s (FSA) Commanders Academy, Graduating Class 16.Corrections Captain Jeffrey Vajdik completed the academy at the Florida Sheriffs Association headquarters in Tallahassee. This program was designed by sheriffs to ensure that these leaders have the background and training to carry out their responsibilities in the agencies they serve.