Welcome back to Beachwalk and Beyond — local stories and events from the 210 corridor in St. Johns, Florida.
Host Fred Amato (owner of Stroll Beachwalk and Stroll Beacon Lake) sits down with João Victor, owner of Hipo Homes — a kitchen and bathroom remodeler who grew up in Brazil, spent five years in Boston, and moved into Beachwalk last August. He named the company after a hippopotamus on purpose, he takes only two to three jobs at a time, and every other Thursday he shuts the business off to work a barn for kids with special needs.
In this episode we cover:
• Brazil to Canada to Boston to Beachwalk — the short version of a long move
• Why the company is named after a hippopotamus
• Big, calm, precise, and very hard to ignore — the philosophy behind the name
• Why contractors get a bad name, and what he is doing differently
• Kitchens and baths: the puzzle of plumbing, electrical, cabinetry, and countertops
• A new office on A1A in Ponte Vedra Beach
• Every other Thursday at the barn — horses, therapy, and kids with special needs
• Planting flowers for veterans' homes on the First Coast
• Only two to three jobs at a time — and why that is the entire point
• Tennis, golf, and finally learning Cimarrone is open to the public
• Maggie — the rescue he was not looking for
• Hipo Homes featured in Stroll Beachwalk this September
Local Events Mentioned in This Episode:
• Beachwalk Farmers Market returns Saturday, August 22 — 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• Fourth Saturday of every month from there, for the next nine months
• Live music, DJs, bounce houses, vendors, prizes, and giveaways
• The Cimarrone gathering — first Tuesday of every month, 5:00 to 8:30 p.m., at Stone & Barrel (open to the public)
Find Hipo Homes:
• Website: https://www.hipo.homes
• Instagram: @jv.homes
• Phone: (904) 584-7383 · Email: [email protected]
• Office: 822 A1A N, Ste 310, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082 — by appointment
• Licensed and insured — CRC1335743
Beachwalk and Beyond is brought to you by Stroll Beachwalk and LBW Productions.
Have a story, a business, or an event to share with the 210 corridor? Email Fred at [email protected] — we'd love to have you on the show.
Subscribe so you never miss an episode — new episodes every Tuesday.
00:00 Welcome to Beachwalk and Beyond
00:12 Meet João Victor — his first time on a podcast
00:35 Brazil, Canada, Boston, and finally Florida
01:17 Moving into Beachwalk and finding the community
01:59 A year in — “this is the place I need to be”
02:18 Why the company is named Hipo Homes
02:46 What a hippo actually means — calm, present, precise
03:46 Why contractors get a bad name
04:33 Kitchens and bathrooms — the specialty
04:58 Historic Boston renovations to high-end Florida homes
05:21 “I love the puzzle” — what a remodel really takes
05:44 Outdoor living and a statewide residential license
06:08 The new office on A1A in Ponte Vedra Beach
06:31 Every other Thursday at the barn
07:15 Scooping stalls and petting bunnies with the kids
07:27 Planting flowers for veterans' homes
07:49 Why he started his own company
08:17 Two to three jobs at a time — full attention
08:50 Hobbies — tennis weekly, golf monthly
09:37 Cimarrone: first Tuesday, 5:00 to 8:30
09:54 Stone & Barrel — open to the public
10:34 “It actually feels like a community”
10:56 Why this farmers market feels different
12:07 Fred on people, family, and the magazine
12:52 The Farmers Market returns Saturday, August 22
13:18 Something for everybody
14:10 Not about business — about the people behind it
15:20 “Connecting businesses throughout your community”
15:37 Maggie — the rescue he wasn't looking for
16:36 Road trips, camping, and a Stroll feature in September
17:12 How to reach Hipo Homes
17:37 Ten years in construction, six months of showing his face
17:59 “It should feel like a signature piece of art”
18:48 Thank you and closing
19:13 Share your 210 corridor story
