Customers are people too, and at Florida Savings Bank, the newest bank in Pinecrest, customers are courteously identified by their name and face, rather than their account number.

New state-of-the-art technology allows tellers to photo-image customers’ ID onto their computers, providing instant account verification, signature match, and the highest level of account protection currently available.

This is just one of the many features of Florida Savings Bank, which opened Apr. 26 on the site of the former Suniland Post Office.

Don’t expect to see the old green-tiled facility. Thousands of dollars in renovations have created a striking new building with a spacious and redesigned parking lot.

"We probably spent more on the renovations than we should have, but we felt it was important to make a good impression in the village," said Bernard Janis, founder, chairman and CEO of the new bank.

If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Janis is the former head of Janis Enterprises — a real estate development firm responsible for building more than 25,000 homes across the United States during a period of nearly 40 years, most of them in Kendall.

But Janis also has been involved in banking since 1968, when he and his father, Ernest Janis, founded the highly successful Republic National Bank of Miami. Janis later opened Consumers Savings Bank (1986) that was recently acquired by Bank United.

"When we decided to open Florida Savings Bank, we studied Dade County thoroughly, and we couldn’t think of a better community than Pinecrest in which to launch it," said Robert L. Bonnet, Florida Savings Bank’s president. "This is a vibrant community that is rapidly growing, and we wanted to be part of that."

The new bank is celebrating its official Grand Opening throughout the month of June, but early response from customers has been enthusiastic. In its first weeks of operation the bank took in more than $1 million in new deposits.

"Florida Savings Bank is a Federal savings bank. That means that we have access to all the resources of a large, multi-regional bank, such as the same or better loan rates, Internet banking, etc.," explained Bonnet, who has more than 27 years of experience in banking.

"But what really sets us apart is our personalized service, our extensive real estate background, and our ability to make quick loan decisions because both the chairman and I are headquartered right here in this branch."

Florida Savings Bank has another important advantage: it’s already Y2K compliant.

"While other banks are bogged down in a bureaucratic nightmare of updating all their technology and software, we’ve hit the ground running with all new systems and hardware that are already Y2K compliant," Bonnet added.

The only thing the bank doesn’t have, at the moment, is a drive-through teller service.

"I tell people that I’ll stand out in the parking lot and hand them their receipts personally if that’s what it takes," Bonnet joked. "But seriously, we’re hoping to work with the Village of Pinecrest to install a drive-through in the near future."

One final feature that distinguishes the bank is an exclusive collection of Clyde Butcher photographs decorating the lobby and offices.

"Our name says it all: we’re a bank for Florida, and no one has captured the essence and beauty of Florida better than renowned Everglades photographer Clyde Butcher," Janis said. "We hope we can leave a lasting impression with our customers."

Florida Savings Bank is located at 8181 SW 117 St. For information, call 305-235-1750.

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