The KRATE Container Park at The Grove has opened in bits and pieces over the past few months, but this Saturday, June 4, the park will finally celebrate its Grand Opening.
More than 70 percent of the 94 repurposed shipping containers will be โofficiallyโ open for business โ although many have been open for months โ and the celebration will be marked by live music at a new bandshell, family events and plenty of food and shopping.
The Grand Opening celebration on the 4th is scheduled from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., with nighttime entertainment from 6 p.m.-9 p.m.
A Friends & Family event was held June 1, drawing a sizable crowd that included social media influencers with a total following of roughly four million.
โOpening KRATE was mission impossible,โ Grove developer Mark Gold of Mishorim-Gold Properties says. โWe did not expect a pandemic, supply chain shortages, and a backlog in permitting. But, we did it and everything we promised we would do has become reality. We are proud of the sense of community we have built here at the Grove at Wesley Chapel and our KRATE park and look forward to providing even more opportunities to bring together friends, families, and neighbors.โ
KRATE is just one part, but perhaps the crown jewel, of The Groveโs transformation, which began when Mishorim-Gold Properties, a partnership between Gold and Mishorim Real Estate, bought the 200+ acres for $62.7 million in 2019. Gold has since poured more than $100 million into renovations, including $20 million or so for a container park he promised would be one-of-a-kind.
KRATE faced a number of obstacles to opening, primarily due to Covid-19 and permitting snags. But little by little, the containers were transformed inside and outside โ thanks in large part to artist Whitney Holbourn, whose hand-painted, business-themed murals adorn the exterior of each shop โ into an attractive, outdoor shopping park featuring 70% restaurants and 30% retail businesses.
Nickole Davis, who opened All Good Things Gifts in February, says she is excited to see KRATE take another step toward reality. Davis sells a variety of personalized items, like her popular Wesley Chapel-branded home decorations, and says local consumers will be pleased by the variety of different kinds of shops in the KRATE, which include a childrenโs boutique, a Budget Blinds showroom and a huge variety of different cuisines from around the world, including Puerto Rican, French, Hawaiian, Mediterranean, Venezuelan and Japanese influences and so many more.
โThe park is still in its infancy and thereโs a lot of room for growth, so I think as more people know that itโs open, it can become something special,โ says Davis, who added that her business has been hitting sales goals and doing very well since opening.
She is not alone. Some of the restaurants, like the Bacon Boss HQ, TJโs Hot Dogs and Mojo Grill Latin Fusion, have been regularly selling out and running out of inventory, a sign that the public is eager for the KRATE.
Portions of the parking area between the various KRATEs have opened, including by the Bacon Boss HQ (nearest the stage at the north end of the park) and other interior parking areas around the other KRATEs, but that parking will be closed for the Grand Opening event on June 4, due to the amount of foot traffic expected in the area.
There will be plenty of KRATE parking in the lot in front of the big box stores at The Grove, including World Market and Dickโs Sporting Goods. Gold also promises that a separate KRATE parking lot is coming to the south end of the container park (north of the Outback Steak House) that should be done โsoon.โ
Also Coming Soon…
In addition to KRATE, Gold continues to fill the rest of The Grove property. New businesses slated to open in the near future include: Woodieโs Wash Shack, Five Below, Bealls Outlet/Home Centric, Starbucks, a national rental car chain, a national grocery store and a miniature golf course.
โWe are the ultimate shopping and entertainment destination, not just for Wesley Chapel, but for the region and around the world,โ Gold says.
Which KRATEs Are Already Open & Which Ones Are Still To Come?
OPEN RESTAURANTS & BARS:
Please note that we will have full reviews of each of the following open & planned eateries in future issues. But, where else but the KRATE Container Park can you find all of these cuisine types?:
โข Tasty Ramen
โข El Prince Mediterranean
โข Shake-A-Salad
โข The Fryroom
โข La Creacion Express
โข Mojo Grill Latin Fusion
โข Provisions Coffee & Kitchen
โข The Bacon Boss HQ
โข TJโs Hot Dogs
โข Tacos El Patron
โข Chamo Bites Venezuelan Cuisine
โข Subzero Nitrogen Ice Cream
โข Blush Wine Room
โข Urban Sweets
โข Palaniโs Hawaiโi Noodles
โข Brew Bar
โข Yummy Tablas
โข Rhythm Pon Jamaican Grill
OPEN KRATE RETAIL SHOPS:
โข The Rebellious Hippie
โข Maeberry Co.
โข Katie Bethโs Boutique
โข Pasco EDCโs Smart Start
โข All Good Things Gifts
โข We Rock Rocks
โข Gadgets Emergency Room
โข Tonellaโs Flower Shop
โข Budget Blinds
โข Center Ed
RESTAURANTS STILL TO COME:
โข Boba Macโs Tea & Eats
โข Falafel Factory
โข Pisco Peruvian Chinese
โข Ato Japanese
โข 365 Cafรฉ
โข Bakery X
โข Beboโs Cheesesteaks
โข Sugar Pop!
โข Flipnโ Fries
โข Higher Flour
โข Cafรฉ Zorba
KRATE RETAILERS STILL TO COME:
โข Insane Vape & Smoke Shop
โข The Toy Jungle
โข Grove Cigars
โข 2 Extreme Tattoos
โข Valiart Jewelry Designs
โข Life Essentials Refillery