The Chicken Boss has opened next to The Bacon Boss HQ & offers hand-breaded tenders (& sandwiches), plus delicious waffle-cut regular & sweet potato (shown) fries. (Below left)
When we last updated you about everything happening at The KRATE at The Grove Container Park, The Chicken Boss had not yet opened next to The Bacon Boss HQ.
Since then, Bacon Boss owners Josh & Christy Norland’s new Chicken Boss (top photo) has opened and they have another local favorite on their hands. The Chicken Boss’ nicely spiced, hand-breaded tenders (left), new chicken sandwiches and waffle fries are served hot and crispy, the chicken is juicy inside and there also are several tasty house-made sauces from which to choose.
Top That! Pizza has added NY-style pizza & wings to the menu at The Fry Room, which it replaced.
Also now open, in something of a surprise, is Top That! Pizza & More. The surprising part is that Top That! opened so quickly — and still carries many of the same food items — in the former location of The Fry Room, although its new menu items — including some really good NY-style pizza and wings — have replaced The Fry Room’s popular (and tasty) apple cider donuts.
Another newcomer at the KRATEs, in the former location of the shuttered Tonella’s Flowers, is MM Kicks, which owner (and long-time “kicks” collector) Will Mendez (photo below) says is your place to buy, sell and trade vintage and sought-after sneakers.
With the impending release this month of “Air,” the Matt Damon/Ben Affleck movie about how Nike built its athletic shoe brand around one man — Michael Jordan, of course — MM Kicks is likely to get an instant boost in popularity.
In other news from the KRATEs, neither the new Blush Champagne Bar (above right) next to Urban Sweets (in the former location of CenterEd tutoring center), nor the Tutti-Frutti Café (in the former location of Valiart Designs/Jewelry, next to Life Essentials Refillery) were quite ready to open, but both were hopefully only a couple of weeks away from doing so.
And finally, when we told you about the new 3Eleven Aroma candlemaking shop in the KRATEs, we neglected to tell you that the retail store it replaced — MaeBerry Co. — did not close its doors. Instead, MaeBerry moved a few doors down, to the former location of the Décor by ZC balloon shop.
For more information, visit MaeBerry.com or “@maeberry.co on Instagram.
The knowledgeable and friendly staff at Nutrition Smart’s Wesley Chapel location is ready and eager to serve you! (Photos by Charmaine George)
In case you missed it, there is a local, natural grocery and vitamin market located in your neighborhood. If you’re interested in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, buying natural groceries, and getting knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful service while shopping for your health needs, you’re in luck — Nutrition Smart is located right down the street from you, on Bruce B Downs Blvd., just south of S.R. 56.
Nutrition Smart has long excelled at creating an enjoyable place to shop with competitive prices. CEO Yuda Saban explains, “We are committed to providing the community with an option for healthy living.”
Are you super busy or just prefer ordering online? Not a problem. Nutrition Smart offers both local delivery and curbside pickup.
Here are just some of the things you will find in the store:
• Fresh all-organic produce
• Natural groceries,
• High-quality vitamins & nutritional supplements
• Sports nutrition
• Natural pet care
• Herbs
• Bulk foods
• Raw milk
• Hemp & CBD products
• Aromatherapy
• Homeopathy
• Health & beauty care
• Household products
• And more — at affordable prices.
What makes Nutrition Smart different than the rest?
• The health of Nutrition Smart’s customers really matters to the management of each store and its staff. So, it is the top priority for all of them to provide personalized service to everyone who walks in the door, in order to help them find the right products for their lifestyle.
• Nutrition Smart has been serving the local community for 13 years — featuring an extensive, “niche” selection of healthy living essentials you can’t typically find at other markets.
• Nutrition Smart also offers so many ways to save! Active and veteran military members, first responders, nurses and teachers all receive 10% off their purchases all day, every day. On Tuesdays, seniors (ages 55 & older) also receive 10% off. You also can sign up for Nutrition Smart’s Email Club, Text Club & and Loyalty Rewards Programs for even more savings.
Don’t forget – the store offers weekly and monthly sales, consisting of tons of BOGO options. They even price-match their competitors!
And, now that the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic appears to be behind us, the store is re-introducing educational seminars on everything from meditation to juicing and also will be making appearances at community events like the Easter Egg Hunt at the Tampa Premium Outlets this Saturday, March 25.
For more information, visit NutritionSmart.com or call the store at (813) 341-4444. And please, stop in and see for yourself at 1821 BBD Blvd.
CITY Furniture has been making big moves in the Tampa Bay area, building a roughly 1.3-million-sq.-ft. distribution center off I-4 near Plant City and putting new showrooms in Tampa and Wesley Chapel.
Although S.R. 56 between the Tampa Premium Outlets and the Cypress Creek Center has often been referred to as Restaurant Row due to its large array of dining options, it also has become something of a Decorator Destination, with another major furniture store on the way.
CITY Furniture re-submitted plans to Pasco County planners on March 8 for a 120,000-sq.-ft. showroom on a parcel of land north of Bahama Breeze restaurant.
If approved, which is likely, CITY Furniture will be built on a 400,000-sq.-ft. parcel just east of Badcock Home Furniture & More, and north of La-Z-Boy.
Planning to be located between Marsh Bend Way and Garden Village Way, the two-level showroom will include 400 parking spots, including 40 for electric cars.
If you include the recently opened El Dorado Furniture to the west of the Cypress Creek Town Center, and the Ashley (which is owned by CITY) and Haverty’s Furniture stores barely a mile to the east just past the I-75 interchange, as well as home furnishing stores like At Home, Home Goods and Floor & Decor, that’s a lot of options for current homeowners and the thousands of new homes and apartments already in the county’s plans.
CITY Furniture originally began as a Waterbed City back in the 1970s, according to its website, but has evolved into 23 furniture and home accents showrooms. It’s exclusive brand is Kevin Charles, but its tagline “Everyone Can Live Like This” promises style and affordable prices.
FIRST IN!: The North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce (NTBC), which serves businesses in Wesley Chapel, Trinity, Odessa and northern Hillsborough County, is moving from its Lutz location back to Wesley Chapel.
The NTBC will be the first company taking advantage of the soon-to-open Signature Workplace, located in the old Forever 21 space at the Shops at Wiregrass.
Signature Workplace is a two-floor co-working business that offers workplaces for individuals and small businesses that want to save on overhead or need more flexibility. It offers team suites, fully furnished private offices and luxury conference rooms.
It also has room to host events, and offers perks like WiFi, coffee and snacks.
“We think it’s a great idea in a great location,” said NTBC CEO Hope Kennedy. “We were the first ones to sign up so we’re happy to support a new business.”
The NTBC will be moving out of its current office on Highland Oaks Blvd. on March 24, and into Signature Workplace, which is expected to open in July.
OTHER NOTES: Rodizio Grill, the Brazilian Steakhouse we told you last July was coming to Wesley Chapel, has officially filed plans with the county for its 9,560-sq.-ft. restaurant, which will be located on Sun Vista Dr. south of the Costco and next to At Home.
According to Businesswire.com, Middleburg Communities closed on two land parcels (49 acres total) in Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, off S.R. 54. Middleburg plans to develop two residential communities – Mosby Avalon Park, a 338-unit traditional apartment community, and Hamlet Avalon Park, a build-to-rent community with 260 single-family homes, duplexes and townhomes. Construction will begin immediately on Mosby, with Hamlet to start during a future phase.
A few finishing touches are being applied to Grove Mini Golf (above), which features working volcanoes, waterfalls and plenty of water throughout, and promises a truly family-friendly experience. (Photos by Charmaine George)
The long-awaited and often-teased miniature golf course at The Grove is, dare we say, just about ready to open.
Ryan Mortti, the owner of the putt-putt course, says that after a number of supply chain issues, permitting obstacles and other delays — not to mention a few premature announcements of an impending opening on Facebook — the course is now expected to open on Saturday, April 15.
Owner Ryan Mortti is excited to finally be opening Grove Mini Golf near the B&B Theatres Wesley Chapel at The Grove.
“We definitely stressed ourselves to get here,” Mortti says, “but, you know, we’re making it to the finish line. Obviously, we always wish it could have been a little faster. Nobody wishes it would have been faster more than we do.”
The 18-hole mini golf course is located near the B&B Theatres Wesley Chapel, which at one point was called The Grove Theater, and in tandem with the golf course was going to be the centerpiece of The Grove reclamation project.
Back when Mortti first came up with the concept, the mini golf course project had no competition. It was going to fill a hole in Wesley Chapel.
But then, the Covid pandemic created a host of issues, and two years later, PopStroke, the new Tiger Woods-owned miniature golf course, announced it was coming to town.
PopStroke, which is corporate-owned, opened last month to rave reviews and large crowds. But, Grove Mini Golf is a family owned, more family-friendly venture.
“We’ve definitely changed a lot of things once we knew we were competing with Tiger Woods,” Mortti says. “That’s not your typical competitor.”
But, while PopStroke promises two 18-hole courses that are intended to simulate putting on a real golf course, Grove Mini Golf is a much more traditional putt-putt course, and has gone through a number of design changes since Mortti first heard the Woods-designed PopStroke was coming.
Not only do the waterfalls at Grove Mini Golf look cool, Mortti says they will keep the temperature on the putt-putt course nice and cool.
On the hole above, you can putt your ball into the rushing river, which will carry your ball towards the hole.
Some of those changes including adding larger visual features, including volcanoes and large waterfalls and plenty of water features throughout the course. Mortti says the planned waterfall became more prominent in the design, and more water in general was added. The course, which Mortti says is designed to have a “tropical feel,” even has a few rivers running around and through some of the holes. On one hole, you can putt your ball into one of the running rivers, which actually will carry the ball towards the hole.
And, Mortti says, nine of the 18 holes are required to be Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant, but he went ahead and designed all 18 holes to be ADA compliant.
Like PopStroke, which is free of all the trappings of your traditional miniature golf course, Grove Mini Golf also offers no windmills, although there are plenty of bridges and many more family-friendly design elements. There are few moving parts — large boulders and wooden posts are the only obstacles keeping your ball from the hole. The large fire-shooting volcano and waterfalls are all there only to add to the atmosphere.
There are plenty of tiki-hut-style places to grab some shade, there are numerous mister fans and the course will likely have drink and snack stations set up at certain holes as well. “All of the moving water also helps keep the course a lot cooler,” Mortti says. “We want you to stay comfortable.”
Mortti is especially excited about the lighting, which he says had to have special ordered. Each hole is outlined by LED strips which can be programmed for a number of different effects, like colors chasing each other or fading in and out.
“The typical LED lighting is like 60, 80 or 100 LED lights per three feet,” Mortti says. “The lights we have 720 (lights) per three feet….And you can do a lot of cool features with that lighting at nighttime. The playability is going to be pretty cool.”
While PopStroke was designed by TGR, Woods’ golf course design firm, Mortti says that Grove Mini Golf may appeal more to families and younger players.
“I worked with a mini-golf guy that’s built courses for 30 years,” Mortti said. “I had him send me a list of like 100 courses he built. And I just picked some of the best holes from each of those courses and then made ours kind of off of the history of all his courses. And obviously, we changed and tweaked it all a little bit.”
When it comes to food, Grove Mini Golf is definitely simpler and more old school. PopStroke offers an actual restaurant and sports bar with full liquor, while Mortti chose more scaled-down gastronomic options like burgers, chicken sandwiches, personal pizzas and nachos, plus ice cream and snow cones, to name a few, that can be eaten on benches outside or taken on the course.
“We’re perfect for kids’ birthday parties,” Mortti says.
Grove Mini Golf also will offer beer and wine for adults.
Mortti and his crew are hustling to put the final touches on Grove Mini Golf. The greens are already playable, but the lights are being carefully placed along the holes and some electrical fine-tuning remains.
“I’m excited,” he says. “We’re definitely more geared towards that family experience, and I think everybody will have fun coming here.”
Grove Mini Golf is located at 6201 Wesley Grove Blvd. For more information, call (813) 815-7888 or visit GroveMiniGolf.com.
Straight from the “How to Grow Something Special Out of Nearly Nothing” handbook, our congratulations go out to CEO Blair Valentine of The Market Culture, who organized and put on her first “Market Elaine” First Friday event at The Village at The Grove in October 2021 with little more than 20 crafters and vendors and an idea.
Less than a year and a half later, The Market Elaine, named for Blair’s paternal grandmother Dolaura Elaine, features more than 150 vendors, plus entertainment for kids and adults. The event held the First Friday of each month now attracts thousands of visitors to well beyond The Village area of The Grove. In fact, the vendors now reach south from The Village to The KRATE container park.
“This is so much fun,” a visitor walking her golden doodle named Janice told me. “I’ve found delicious baked goods for me, dog treats and toys for her and some great gifts for my family.”
And, even the existing brick-and-mortar businesses at The Grove say they now get a nice bounce from the Market Elaine.
Steve Falabella, who owns both the Falabella Family Bistro and 900º New York Pizza in The VIllage, says “We’re already packed every weekend at the Bistro,” Falabella says. “But, the Market Elaine has definitely attracted a lot of new faces and kept the pizza place hopping, too.”
The next Market Elaine will be held Friday, April 7, 5 p.m.-9 p.m.. For more info, visit TheMarketCulture.com.
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