‘Howluckyami’ brand to be reintroduced at Restless Natives

Tom Dick & Harry Productions LLC have a grand opening planned for Saturday, when shoppers can buy their “howluckyami” branded products.

The name was trademarked by Jane Sperlazzi, who often would say, “How lucky am I” when she awoke on Anna Maria Island or walked down to the neighborhood coffee shop for a jolt of caffeine.

Cleverly, she ran the words together and included a bit of wordplay at the end with ami, the abbreviation for Anna Maria Island.

The grand opening is a relaunch for howluckyami, which made its first introduction in 2015.

But this time, Sperlazzi, with help from friends who incorporated as Tom Dick & Harry Productions, are intent on ensuring the brand becomes successful.

The first step is to roll out the brand – which includes hats, shorts, jewely, pottery and more – at Saturday’s grand opening in the Restless Natives store, 5416 Marina Dr. Tom Dick & Harry Productions has about one-third of the floor space at Restless Natives, which features the work of local artists.

It’s a good fit, according to the partners behind howluckyami. Tom Dick & Harry aren’t who you might suppose. They are actually Carol, Jan and Jane.

It might sound a little confusing, but the name reflects the sense of fun and quirkiness of the partners.

“It was a few months ago at Harry’s Grill on the north end of Anna Maria Island where we all got together for a drink,” Carol Clifford said of how she and the other partners decided to incorporate as Tom Dick & Harry Productions, and adopt male alter egos.

Carol became “Tom,” her father’s name; Jan Labriola became “Harry,” the name of the restaurant she owns with husband Mark; and Jane Sperlazzi became Dick, her husband’s name.

None of this would have happened were it not for Anna Maria Island. The partners all came from elsewhere: Clifford is from Southport, England. Jan Labriola is from Tupelo, Miss. And Sperlazzi is from Gray, Maine.

“Jane and I met over the fence. We had a cat that kept going to Jane’s house and eventually adopted Jane,” Labriola said.

Adds Sperlazzi: “I knew Jan and she introduced me to Carol. The three of us were inspired and knew we could bring the brand back with a big punch.”

That includes using local artists and high-end brands, Clifford said of the branded merchandise the partners will offer.

The partners want to be successful – and they especially want to be successful for Sperlazzi.

“This is Jane’s brand and her time to shine,” Labriola said.

The howluckyami products will also be made available at Sea-renity Beach Spa on Bridge Street in Bradenton Beach and other locations as the brand gathers steam.

The grand opening is set for noon-5 p.m. on Saturday at Restless Natives. Live entertainment, refreshments and demonstrations by a local potter and a local jeweler are planned.

This story was originally published October 30, 2017 at 10:49 AM with the headline "‘Howluckyami’ brand to be reintroduced at Restless Natives."