Nino Villamor spent 22 years as a Navy culinary specialist before taking over Lola's Filipino Cafe & Mini Store at 1241 Blanding Blvd. in Orange Park, Clay Today reported.

Villamor and his family officially assumed ownership in October. The cafe, which a husband and wife had run since 2021, is now 100% veteran-owned.

"Lola" means "grandma" in Filipino. Villamor told Clay Today the concept was "the home cooking of a grandmother," and that his family wanted to share Filipino tradition and culture through food.

The menu features adobo chicken and pork, lumpia, traditional pompano and pancit. A mini store section stocks Filipino snacks and groceries. Villamor said he grew up in an area with authentic Filipino food and culture.

"I grew up in an area where our dishes [were] comprised of coconut milk, chilis, and hot peppers," he told Clay Today. "Anything you can pick up in a Filipino household, we try to have it."

Villamor said Lola's is the only Filipino restaurant in the Orange Park area. October is Filipino American History Month, and the family is marking it with culinary traditions including a whole roasted pig, he said. He hopes to eventually expand to other parts of North Florida.

Separately on Fleming Island, Michelle Smith has launched Glow Wellness and Rejuvenation at Suite 101 in the Salon Lofts, 4465 U.S. Highway 17, Clay Today reported.

Smith, an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner, left a career as a surgical assistant to focus on holistic and natural wellness. Her team includes registered nurses Nina Montgomery and Rachel Mathews and licensed esthetician Michelle Wells.

Services include weight loss plans, IVs, vitamin injections, Botox, fillers, microneedling and facials. Smith also accepts sick-visit telehealth calls. For weight loss patients, she reviews medical history, medications and blood work before creating a plan with monthly checkups.

Smith told Clay Today the leap into business ownership was a big adjustment, but she said her belief in treating the mind and body was stronger than any business doubt. She had never owned a business before and leaned on friends in similar fields for guidance.

Appointments at Glow Wellness and Rejuvenation can be made by calling (904) 236-9729.