Jacksonville’s food scene continues to expand and provide customers with numerous options to satisfy their insatiable sweet tooth. Simply attend the nearest festival or outdoor event, and you will likely find everything from soul food to concessions. The latest food scene staple to dominate Jacksonville helps you stay cool during the unbearably hot and humid temperatures that plague Jacksonville residents almost year round, Shaved Ice. The frontrunner in the shaved ice industry in Jacksonville is none other than First Coast Snowie Ice. Boasting numerous 5-star reviews and features on Buzz TV, MSNBC, and Buzzfeed it’s not hard to see why First Coast Snowie Ice is our selection for Best in Jacksonville.

After a long day at the park with the kids or lounging on the beach, there is not a more delicious reward for salty lips than a refreshing shaved ice. Faron Miles owner of First Coast Snowie Ice is remarkably thrilled to see the happy faces of the thousands of customers that have flocked to eat his savory treat. “Being a Navy Veteran taught me the meaning of service, I love helping people stay cool in the scorching climate of Jacksonville, I am honored and humbled to be named Best in Jacksonville by Florida.com,” stated Miles. Miles has taken his love for helping people stay cool and merged it with a passion for helping people save money. Miles has recently launched a new enter to win campaign. There is no purchase necessary, visit firstcoastsnowieice.com/win/ and enter your name for the monthly drawing to win a free snowie ice and other prizes. “First Coast Snowie Ice is dedicated to providing a value and phenomenal customer service. We relaunched and retooled our website, added monthly giveaways, and provided more ways that our customers can reach us,” stated Miles.

Congratulations First Coast Snowie Ice for being named Best in Jacksonville. To learn more about First Coast Snowie Ice visit their website here.

Jacksonville Business Journal’s 2017 40 Under 40 honoree and Retired NFL Veteran Drayton Florence recently launched a new business in Northeast Florida called “Blue 32 Jax.” Blue 32 Jax provides the latest sports recovery modalities that include Cryotherapy, Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatments, Infrared Sauna Sessions, and Normatec Recovery Sessions in Jacksonville Florida. The facility is located 13500 Beach Blvd Unit #29 Jacksonville, FL 32224.

“I’m excited and humbled to launch Blue 32 Jax in Northeast Florida where we will provide innovative recovery technologies to the health and wellness community that will help everyone from the average workout warrior to the college/professional athlete recover more efficiently. I personally out recovered my opponents consistently in the offseason. The recovery modalities that are provided at Blue 32 Jax were the most significant technologies that I utilized to extend my career 11 seasons in the National Football League. We are also excited to offer free Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatments to military veterans monthly at our facility,” said Florence.

Blue 32 Jax delivers recovery services that also help prevent future injuries. With a variety of treatments, memberships and walk-in hours, it’s not only convenient, but it’s also the best thing professional and everyday athletes can do for their bodies before and after workouts. There are essentially three pillars of comprehensive health and wellness, which are nutrition, fitness, and recovery. Blue 32 Jax completes the health cycle by concentrating on the most neglected aspect of the three pillars, whole body recovery.

Before establishing Blue 32 Jax, Florence made a name for himself as the Director of Strategic Partnerships at Tech From Vets. Florence co-developed the Vets 22 mobile application, connecting veterans with lifesaving resources nationwide. The award-winning app connects veterans with fitness facilities, housing solutions, medical facilities and many more life-saving resources.

The app propelled Florence to the prestigious 40 Under 40 list and led his tech company to be named The Best Veteran Owned Tech Startup of 2016 by The Huffington Post. After making a significant impact in the technology sector, Florence set his sights on transforming the sports fitness and recovery industry. Blue 32 Jax has committed to offering free Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatments to military veterans on the 22nd of every month to help reduce symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury and PTSD for the heroes of our nation. The solutions Blue 32 Jax offers helps people suffering from arthritis, fibromyalgia, tendonitis and joint inflammation, depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders among others.

To find out more about Florence, and his business, visit blue32jax.com

Buzz On Veterans Host Jeff Shuford interviews the staff of K9s United On The Buzz On Veterans. View the original interview Here. Visit K9s United’s website Here.

View the original segment on Buzz TV Here.

Buzz on Veterans Host Jeff Shuford interviews Topher Wilson from Veterans United Craft Brewery in Jacksonville Florida. View the original video on Buzz TV Here. Visit Veterans United Craft Brewery at 8999 Western Way #104, Jacksonville, FL 32256 or online at www.vubrew.com

John served with the US Army 82nd Airborne Division in the Initial invasion of Iraq. Being a serial entrepreneur, John’s mission is to help veterans start and maintain their own businesses. The Small Business Administration reports that nearly 25% of active duty servicemembers would like to start a business. Surprisingly, military veterans make up less than 6% of new entrepreneurs. John and his team at Bunker Labs Jacksonville provide veterans access to vital entrepreneur educational resources and get veterans foot in the door with angel investors, venture capital, and alternative investment opportunities. Founded in 2014, Bunker Labs is a national not-for-profit program that aims to inspire, educate, and connect transitioning service members and veterans as they seek to launch their own ventures.

“Sometimes the slightest piece of information can be the difference between a successful startup and failure. Bunker Labs Jacksonville seeks out small business mentors and finds them for our veteran led startups,” said John.

Bunker Labs Jacksonville was recently named number 1 on the Engadget list of “The Best 5 Resources For Veterans Starting A Tech Business” and is making a major push to help veterans in 2017. The statistics show that over 5.7 million people are employed by veterans, which equates to over $210 billion in annual payroll and $1.2 trillion in sales. Veterans are twice as likely to own a business as the general population and run 3 million businesses in the United States.

“After I served 20 years in the Navy, I soon discovered there were not many civilian organizations helping veterans start businesses. Having a resource like Bunker Labs Jacksonville will help veterans succeed in the marketplace without question,” said Lonnell McCall Vice President of Tech From Vets.

With 14 chapters in cities around the country, Bunker Labs is solving a problem plaguing may veterans exiting the service. The CEO of Bunker Labs served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy for four years and has held roles in the public and private sectors. Bunker Labs Jacksonville plans to launch their latest cohort of the Entrepreneurial Program for Innovation and Collaboration (EPIC), the Bunker’s cornerstone 14-week program for military veterans to pressure test their business ideas and launch their startups.

“We are excited and fortunate to move forward with Bunker labs Jacksonville to accelerate the transformation of veterans to entrepreneurs in our Northeast Florida community,” said Drayton Florence a retired NFL superstar who serves as Director of Strategic Partnerships with Tech Form Vets.

The upcoming class that begins January 25th, includes entrepreneurs from backgrounds including the service industry and green technology. Veterans are encouraged to contact Bunker Labs Jacksonville Program Director Nathan Crocker at Nathaniel.crocker@bunkerlabs.org or 618-696-3697 to get registered for the upcoming EPIC Program.