If you’ve visited Life Essentials Refillery in South Tampa recently—or you’re waiting on an online order—you may have noticed that things have been a little more chaotic than usual.
Okay, maybe a lot more chaotic. 😅
Over the past several weeks, our little shop has dealt with plaza-wide plumbing problems, flooding, a full move-out for building tenting, loss of refrigeration, and internet and phone problems related to the construction on El Prado.
It has been one thing after another, so we wanted to share what’s been happening behind the scenes, why some orders are taking longer than usual, and when we hope things will finally be back to normal.
First, the Plumbing Problems
Before everything else, our plaza began experiencing ongoing plumbing issues that affected multiple businesses in the building.
At different points, these problems left us without normal access to our plumbing and restroom facilities and created disruptions to our regular store operations.
Like many of the challenges we've faced this summer, the plumbing problems were outside of our control. We did our best to stay open and serve our customers whenever we safely could.
And then things got even more interesting.
Then Came the Flood
During heavy rain, water came into the store.
For a shop filled with bulk foods, herbs, teas, spices, and refill products, water is definitely not something we want to see!
We immediately got to work cleaning, drying, running fans and dehumidifiers, and making sure everything was ready for customers again.
Just as we were putting that behind us, another major project arrived.
We Had to Pack Up the Store for Tenting
Our building needed to be tented for termite treatment.
Because we carry food and other products, this wasn't as simple as locking the doors for a few days.
We had to pack up and move a huge portion of the store out of the building before the tenting began.
Bulk foods. Spices. Teas. Herbs. Personal care products. Displays. Supplies.
Out it went.
Once we were cleared to return, we got to do the whole thing again—in reverse.
If you've ever moved, imagine moving a grocery store out and then moving it right back in a few days later. 😂
We Lost Refrigeration, Too
The tenting also meant that we lost refrigeration, affecting some of the refrigerated products we normally carry.
We know some of you come to Life Essentials specifically for products you can't easily find elsewhere, so we know it's frustrating when one of your regular items isn't available.
We're working on getting our refrigerated inventory back into its normal routine.
And Then There's the El Prado Construction…
If you've driven down El Prado Boulevard in South Tampa lately, you've probably seen all the construction happening around us.
Unfortunately, that construction has also affected our internet and VoIP phone service.
So much of running a modern small business depends on reliable internet—from processing and fulfilling online orders to communicating with customers and managing our store.
We've been working around the interruptions as best we can.
At this point, we're starting to wonder what else August has planned for us. 😂
Some Online Orders Are Running Late
With all of these disruptions happening one after another, we have also fallen behind on some online orders.
If you're currently waiting for an order from Life Essentials, please know that we haven't forgotten about you.
We're working through everything and getting caught up as quickly as possible.
We truly appreciate your patience and understanding.
The Good News: We're Almost Back to Normal
After plumbing problems, flooding, packing up the store, tenting, unpacking everything, losing refrigeration, and dealing with construction-related internet and phone problems, we're finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
We're restocking.
We're filling the bulk bins.
We're getting the spice, herb, and tea shelves back in order.
We're getting caught up on orders.
And we're hopeful that by next week, things will finally be running normally again.
Thank You, South Tampa 💚
Owning a small business is always an adventure, but this summer has taken that to a whole new level.
Through all of it, our customers have continued to stop in, place orders, share our posts, tell friends about us, and support what we're trying to build.
Our mission hasn't changed.
Life Essentials Refillery is here to make it easier for our Tampa community to shop with less waste. We offer bulk foods, herbs, teas, spices, personal care products, household refills, and other carefully chosen products that are better for people and our planet.
If you haven't been in for a while, we'd love to see you.
Bring your containers, refill something you already use, discover something new in our bulk section, or simply stop in and say hello.
And if you're waiting on an order, thank you for giving us a little extra grace while we catch up.
Here's hoping September is much less exciting. 😉
Life Essentials Refillery
4317 W El Prado BLVD
Tampa, FL 33629
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Life Essentials Refillery open?
Yes! We are open and working on getting everything completely back to normal after several disruptions this summer. We recommend checking our current store hours before making a special trip.
Why is my Life Essentials order taking longer than usual?
Plaza-wide plumbing problems, flooding, building tenting, moving inventory out and back into the store, loss of refrigeration, and internet disruptions related to construction on El Prado have all affected our operations. We are actively working through delayed orders and getting caught up.
What happened with the plumbing at Life Essentials?
Our plaza experienced ongoing plumbing problems that affected multiple businesses in the building. These issues periodically disrupted normal store operations and access to plumbing and restroom facilities. Per code, if we do not have access to running water we cannot operate.Â
Is your refrigerated inventory back?
We lost refrigeration during the tenting process, which affected our normal refrigerated inventory. We're working to get those products restocked and back to their regular schedule. The refrigerators have been repaired and are back up and running.Â
Where is Life Essentials Refillery?
Life Essentials Refillery is a refill and bulk grocery store in South Tampa, Florida, located at 4317 W El Prado BLVD, Tampa, FL 33629.
What does Life Essentials Refillery sell?
We carry bulk foods, beans, grains, herbs, loose-leaf teas, spices and seasonings, personal care products, household refills, low-waste products, and more. Our goal is to make it easier for our Tampa community to buy what they need while cutting down on unnecessary packaging and waste.