Tien’s Sandwich Is Coming To Wiregrass Ranch!

Coming to 2557 Mansfield Blvd. at Wiregrass School Rd., in the Mansfield Wesley Chapel Shopping Center plaza next to 7-11 that also has MH Nail Studio and Enterprise Rent-A-Car (see map), Tien’s Sandwich will be a 2,066-sq.-ft. shop that will bring “the authentic taste of Vietnamese bĂĄnh mĂŹ sandwiches to Wesley Chapel — “fresh, vibrant & full of heart” and also will feature coffee, boba tea and other comfort bites. According to its Instagram page, the Vietnamese sandwich place’s slogan is, “Good bread, good mood.” 

At our deadline, the vacant store still had a dirt floor, so there’s no telling how long it will be before Tien’s Sandwich actually opens. 

AdventHealth Wesley Chapel Cuts A Ribbon On Its New Expansion

Although the title may change hands at some point in the future, Wesley Chapel’s first hospital is still its largest and an exclamation point has been added to that sentence following the Nov. 20 ribbon-cutting ceremony and Grand Opening of AdventHealth Wesley Chapel (AHWC) hospital’s “North Tower” upward expansion. 

More than 200 hospital staffers, hospital and hospital Foundation Board members, as well as North Tampa Bay Chamber Board members were on hand when AHWC president and CEO Ryan Quattlebaum (left) and chief medical officer Robert Rosequist (with scissors in top photo) cut the ribbon on the 80,373-sq.-ft. expansion. The project adds three additional floors (only the top one of which is open) and 24 more licensed beds, with room for two 24-bed units in the future, as well as 21 additional pre-op and post-op beds, two additional operating rooms, two additional endoscopy suites and one hybrid operating room. 

The expansion also gives the award-winning hospital — which has been named one of the top hospitals in the U.S. by Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report magazines, as well as earning an “America’s 250 Best Hospitals” grade by Healthgrades and a 21st consecutive semester Hospital Safety Grade of “A” from Leapfrog — expanded sterile processing and imaging capabilities, including MRI and radiology. 

All told, AHWC now has 193 private patient beds, 34 ER beds, 12 operating rooms, three endoscopy suites, two heart catheterization labs, one C-section suite, and too much other robotic surgery and other advanced technology to mention here. 

Following an opening prayer, Quattlebaum said, “This expansion project is truly monumental for AdventHealth Wesley Chapel. I am so excited to celebrate with everyone here today because this is truly a celebration for our community.” 

Quattlebaum then thanked all of the elected officials in attendance, including District 1 Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley, District 2 Commissioner Seth Weightman (right) and District 5 Commissioner Jack Mariano. He also acknowledged and thanked all of the hospital Board members, medical executive committee members, AdventHealth West Florida Division leaders and fellow Pasco County AdventHealth leaders, as well as all of the companies that participated in building the hospital expansion project. 

“The journey at AdventHealth Wesley Chapel is one that reads like a fairy tale storybook, as it relates to health, faith and community,” Quattlebaum said. So, I’ll go back to the beginning — to 2012, when this campus opened (as Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel) with 80 beds and a community that welcomed us with open arms. And, as the community has grown, we have grown with it. And, what that growth really signifies is that we have [greater] access to care.” 

He added that when he first heard about AdventHealth Wesley Chapel, “I was in California and I heard about this amazing place where they have these great, quality stores and the team is so engaged. It really speaks to the heart of what makes Wesley Chapel special — our people. A building is a place where people receive care, but it’s delivered by people and the people who work here are truly what makes us unique and special.” 

Quattlebaum concluded by saying that when they had orientation for the new expansion, he asked his team members where they came from, where home was for them. “One of them said, ‘I live in Zephyrhills but I remember this spot, this part of Wesley Chapel, as a place where we used to come to watch meteor showers.’ And I thought that meteor showers are moments that reminds us how brilliance is possible. It’s fitting that our hospital stands here today because it symbolizes what brilliance can look like. Our mission calls us to continue to be brilliant for our community every single day and to extend Christ’s healing ministry through healing, comfort and hope. While meteor showers come and go, the light and brilliance that extends at this place endures.” 

Next up was Commissioner Weightman, who said, “AdventHealth entered Pasco County in 1985 and the reason for that was that Commissioner Oakley’s dad donated the land that AdventHealth Zephyrhills sits on today. And it’s an honor to sit with him today, as Commissioner Oakley has carried on that legacy by being part of that foundation. And, here we are today in Wesley Chapel, on a road that used to be called the ‘road to nowhere.’ But now, that roads leads somewhere, to the North Tower of AdventHealth Wesley Chapel. How spectacular is that?” 

Also speaking at the event were AHWC chief of staff Dr. Kalpesh Patel and Dr. Rosequist, but before the ribbon-cutting and tours of the new wing, Quattlebaum also thanked the AHWC marketing team for putting the event together. 

For more info about AdventHealth Wesley Chapel (2600 BBD Blvd.), visit AdventHealth.com or call (813) 929-5000. — GN, all photos except the rendering above by Charmaine George 

(Almost) Everyone Is Excited About Whole Foods Coming To Wesley Chapel!

Some Neighbors In Meadow Pointe Adjacent To The New Development Have Concerns About Flooding, Noise & More 

Photo provided by Judy Johnson 

 Introduction by Gary Nager 

Story by Joel Provenzano 

 Although some locals still firmly believe that the area needs a Trader Joe’s market even more, there’s no doubt that the beginning of construction of our area’s first and only Whole Foods market is among the most hotly anticipated new developments in Wesley Chapel. 

Some of the long-term residents who live in the adjacent Meadow Pointe I community, however, aren’t necessarily as excited. They’re wondering, when it comes to development, how close is too close? 

With Whole Foods now under construction, some of those neighbors are voicing their concerns to the Neighborhood News. 

These neighbors in The Savannahs subdivision of Meadow Pointe I are asking a number of questions, including one big one: 

If a man-made retention pond was built as an original feature of a community’s design and has been part of your backyard since 1992, don’t you have the right to assume that the pond was there to stay? 

Why would anyone assume otherwise? In our area, it is virtually unheard of that ponds near established community homesites would end up being removed. 

But, there is a pond located behind the homes on Openfield Loop that is being removed for this new commercial development — despite multiple failed previous attempts to develop the 16-acre property located north and east of the intersection of Aronwood Blvd. and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. into a full-fledged commercial site — and the fact that no previous developer had proposed removing the pond. 

All of the neighbors we spoke with understood that the land would eventually be developed into a neighborhood commercial site, as it has been zoned for that purpose since before their homes were built adjacent to it. 

What these homeowners could not have anticipated, however, was that the latest developer (SJC Ventures) would propose moving that development even closer to their backyards by eliminating the natural buffer the pond provided — anywhere from 50-200 feet, depending upon which lot your house was located. 

And that, the homeowners told us, is where the true concern lies: the edge of the parking lot would now only be 15’ from some of their backyard property lines — close enough to throw a paper airplane and hit a parked car. 

The expansive pond buffer — along with the previously approved 20-foot landscape buffer for the southernmost home, as shown in an earlier plat — are being eliminated. In its place, a standard white vinyl fence (possibly) and a uniform 15-foot buffer would directly separate six homes (see map below) from a 160,000-sq.- ft. commercial center, while the views of an additional four homes would be indirectly impacted. 

Put plainly, the pond would be removed to make room for approximately 90 of the development’s 881 proposed parking spaces. 

That said, the removal of existing man-made ponds for site reconfiguration does occur — just not typically in a young, rapidly growing area like Wesley Chapel, where fresh commercial developments are still popping up all over. 

This type of development change normally takes place in older areas where outdated commercial developments are torn down, ponds are removed and new drainage facilities are put in place — whether that be in the form of relocated new ponds, or below-ground “vaults” to provide for more building area or parking. 

It’s crazy to think that at 33 years old, and without any aged commercial development, that this parcel fits that criteria, as it is one of the oldest commercial lots (per zoning) in Wesley Chapel. 

At its core, this issue reflects the broader tensions that accompany growth and development — where long-held expectations about how things were, or were meant to remain, collide with the sometimes unfortunate realities of change. It is a familiar struggle, one that increasingly places evolving commercial developer interests at odds with those of existing residents — a dynamic we have found ourselves reporting on with growing frequency. 

Can more compromise and common ground be found, so everyone still gets what’s important to them? 

The Developer’s Goal 
The site plan showing the locations of Whole Foods & Lifetime Fitness on developer SJC Ventures’ site plan. We don’t yet have info as to exactly where, or even in which buildings, the other businesses mentioned in the story will be located. (Site plan source: Pasco County)

The goals of neighborhood commercial development are to provide needed services and jobs for nearby residents and, of course, to make money. Having options of where to shop, where to eat and where to get health care can make an area more desirable and more enjoyable as a place to live, because people generally appreciate having proximity, freedom of choice and variety. 

The affected homeowners we spoke with understand this, and wanted to make it clear that they’re not against the commercial development now under construction from SJC Ventures, but they do have some concerns. 

Meanwhile, most everyone who isn’t directly abutting the property has taken to social media to let everyone know how happy they are that the area is getting the major anchor tenant: 

Whole Foods — The 35,518 sq.-ft. modern grocery store owned by Amazon. As mentioned earlier, only a Trader Joe’s might have caused more excitement, but unfortunately, we spoke with Trader Joe’s corporate, which said the company currently still has no plans for a Pasco location. Many Amazon Prime members, however, are rejoicing, because of the benefits and deals offered by Whole Foods to Prime members. 

Lifetime Fitness — The club is to be the second (and larger) standalone tenant. Lifetime is a slightly more upscale full-service gym that will offer everything — including two large outdoor swimming pools. Some of the homeowners we spoke with said the pools will cause additional noise and lighting at night (the Lifetime gym on Harbour Island stays open until 10 p.m. on weeknights and until midnight on weekends) that might not have been necessary if everything was fully indoors. 

As gyms go, Lifetime Fitness will be quite large, offering two levels and nearly 84,500 sq. ft. of indoor floor space, plus the outdoor pools. Anyone familiar with gyms understands that this means a very large amount of parking is needed. 

The Lifetime building will have a maximum height of 45’, according to the site plan. The edge of the gym building will be 92’ from the closest residential property. 

The remaining property will be 40,450 sq. ft. of strip-style shops and restaurants and will include the following tenants: 

PopUp Bagels — A highly rated bagel shop with existing locations in Carrollwood and the Westshore business district. Pop-Up Bagels serves hot, whole bagels with a variety of rotating shmears (cream cheeses). It’s a place for bagel purists. 

CAVA — A popular quick-service Mediterranean restaurant that serves healthy food fast (ordered and made at the counter), a chain that is quickly spreading across Tampa Bay, with 10 current locations. 

Naked Farmer — A very highly rated American-style “farm-to-table” quick service restaurant (ordered and made at the counter; like a more upscale Fresh Kitchen) with flavorful, healthy options. Naked Farmer has two existing locations in South Tampa, including one in the Water St. area of downtown Tampa. 

Petfolk — Veterinary & Urgent Care with multiple locations across Florida. 

The Tox — A popular wellness and detox spa with a highly rated location in South Tampa. 

Nail Salon — Tenant TBD. 

According to an SJC Ventures release, there’s still roughly 15,000 sq. ft. available. Health, wellness and wholesomeness seem to be the overarching themes for this development, with SJC expecting to have these businesses start opening in the 2nd quarter of 2027. 

Digging Deeper 
The map of the area showing where the development (outlined in red) will be located. Please note that the location of the red line is approximate and is not intended to provide an exact location of the boundaries of the project. (Inset photo) The flooding on Openfield Loop caused by Hurricane Milton. (Map source: Google maps modified by Neighborhood News)

We had a chance to meet with many of the affected homeowners in person, and speak with them as a group. They’re all long-time residents in one household each in The Savannahs: 

‱ Judy Johnson (8-year resident) 

‱ Laura Knight (name she asked us to use, a 17-year resident) 

‱ Jill McDaniel (32-year resident) 

‱ George Ryan (32-year resident) 

Each had a chance to share what they felt were their important personal issues with the project, and a few common themes emerged: 

1. Flooding 

2. Privacy/Security/Noise 

3. Lighting 

4. Setbacks/Buffers 

We reached out to SJC Ventures through its general contractor (VCC Construction), and although SJC has been responsive to the homeowners, the company did not respond to our inquiry (at least not by this issue’s deadline). 

However, both Pasco County and the Engineer of Record for the developer’s project, David Fauxan, did speak with us to provide some clarity about the development codes and practices being called into question by the homeowners, as well as our own technical questions. 

Fauxan also has been an engineer on the original Meadow Pointe project since its conception in the early 1990s. 

Amanda Hunter, a public information officer for Pasco County, says that, “The county is aware of the homeowner concerns and has attempted to address those.” However, the homeowners told us they were not impressed with the county’s communication and that no one from the county had visited with them in person, to see their concerns first hand, including: 

Flooding — For the residents, the proposed removal of the pond has created concerns about flooding, especially considering that flooding during Hurricane Milton left water coming literally right up to their doorsteps (see inset photo above). The residents fear that if the pond wasn’t there, that water would have come right into their homes. 

Hunter responded to the flooding concerns with the following statement: “The developer is retaining storage for stormwater under the parking lot, via a vaulted system, instead of an open stormwater pond.” 

Fauxan added that the vault system would provide just as much, if not greater retention, than the pond to be removed. We confirmed that the plans do show an extensive vault system under most of the parking lot. 

“Honestly, the whole site could have been a pond, and it still would not have fixed the issue,” Fauxan says about last year’s flooding. Ironically, he mentioned that the adjacent Trout Creek watershed, which goes all the way up to S.R. 54, has been strained by development over the years, changing the flood plain from what it used to be. 

He added, “The flood elevation used to be ‘X’ back in 1992 (when the homes were built). But now, it’s ‘X’ + 4 feet,” meaning that the flood zone boundary actively shifted from where it used to be. “We’re raising the [project] site elevation [by up to] 2 feet because the new buildings need to be 1 foot above that new flood elevation.” 

Homeowner George Ryan confirmed what Fauxan explained, saying that his home, which was previously in Flood Zone X, is now in Zone AE “per the revised boundary,” so he has to have flood insurance for the first time in the 32 years he’s lived there — and that occurred before the SJC development ever broke ground. 

What does all this mean for the homeowners? Allegedly, if the area sees another Milton-like storm, which dumped 15” of rain, the water will rise again to exactly where it was after the hurricane, regardless of the pond. But, only time will tell if all of those calculations are correct. 

Fauxan explained that one small improvement is planned to address existing conditions. Once a more detailed survey of the area between the residential and commercial properties has been completed, the developer intends to grade the commercial site to actively collect any water that falls near the shared property line — close to the existing wall — and redirect it into the site’s stormwater management system.

The retention pond to the left of this wall will be removed under the SJC Ventures development plan. (Photo by Joel Provenzano) 

Privacy/Security — Since the pond was previously supposed to act as a natural buffer, the community only built the roughly 6-foot-tall brick wall (photo) up to the first home at the pond’s edge, where it abruptly ends. This means that three other homes will have no physical separation between them and the development’s parking lot, other than the planned landscaping. 

Fauxan said that the developer intends to install a white vinyl fence to mitigate this concern, stating that the fence was shown in the development’s landscaping plans. 

However, the homeowners said that, based on what they were told, the fence would be at the developer’s discretion, and a review of the August landscaping plans showed only trees and hedges along the property line, but no fence. 

It’s possible the latest landscaping plans were not uploaded to the permit site. 

Lighting — With a building and parking so nearby to their homes, the homeowners are concerned about lighting spilling into the properties, but we were not able to locate a light plan or a lighting analysis, so it’s difficult to analyze what those levels may be. Trees and shrubs in the buffer should help to reduce the light pollution. 

Setbacks/Buffers — According to Fauxan and Pasco County, all of the project’s buffers meet the current code. But, while it’s within the acceptable threshold, is it still too close? 

When we asked the county why a 30’ setback wasn’t used or why the 20’ buffer from the previous plat was reduced to 15’, the county responded: “The plat in [that question] is a reference to an older project that was not pursued. Per Table 905.2-D of the land development code (LDC), a type ‘B’ buffer is required between commercial and residential uses. A type ‘B’ buffer is 15 feet wide. Note — a landscape buffer and its width are different than a building setback, per our Zoning Code in Chapter 500 of the LDC, which is what you’ve referenced.” 

In addition, “As a note, this project meets the building setback requirement. It’s not a construction setback, but a setback from a structure. The structures are set back appropriately and in accordance with the land development code.” 

This means that while commercial structures must be set back at least 30’ from the adjacent residential property line, parking is permitted to be within 15’ of it, underscoring how technical compliance does not always equate to neighborhood comfort. Paper airplanes away! 

Noble Crust Wins Our Readers’ “Favorite Restaurant In Wesley Chapel” Title For 2025!

Photo by Charmaine George
Noble Crust Is Our Readers’ Favorite Restaurant In Wesley Chapel! 
Popular ‘Southern Italian’ Eatery At Shops At Wiregrass Reclaims Top Spot From Cooper’s Hawk! 

 All it took was taking chain restaurants with more than 10 locations off the ballot (while still allowing those who entered the contest to write in any of the chains among their favorites) for last year’s Favorite Restaurant in Wesley Chapel — Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant — to drop from #1 to #17. 

Moving back up into the top spot, after dropping to #4 in Wesley Chapel last year (following three years in a row at #1) is Noble Crust, the “Southern Italian” restaurant that has been in the top-5 with our readers every year since it opened. Chief marketing officer Bradley Elia (far right in photo) was so excited to regain the top spot that he decided to include his entire Wesley Chapel team in the picture on this page — and we, of course, were happy to oblige! 

But, as usual, this year’s Reader Dining Survey & Contest wasn’t without its own pratfalls. While many more locally-owned, mom-&-pop eateries made it into the Top-25s in both Wesley Chapel and New Tampa, I couldn’t help but notice that the last few categories on this year’s ballot all received far less than the 450+ total votes cast by the readers in both of our distribution areas. The last two categories — “Favorite Bakery in New Tampa (NT) & Wesley Chapel (WC)”and “Favorite Coffee in NT & WC” — each received at least 100 fewer total votes than “Favorite Restaurant in Wesley Chapel.” 

To that end, I plan to go back to only one or two categories in the ten WC issues of the paper between February and November of 2026 and allow everyone to vote as many times as they want in each category. 

The Readers Have Spoken! Noble Crust Is Your Favorite Restaurant In Wesley Chapel! Stonewood Is Still Your #1 Favorite In New Tampa! But, Did You Win Free Dining? Read On! 

The “bad” news is that, despite my best efforts to make it easier for you to enter, fewer of our readers — 450 vs. nearly 600 — entered this year’s Dining Survey & Contest. 

The good news, however, is that my intention of having more mom-&-pop, individually-owned restaurants make it to the Top-25 this year — by again not including the names of the chain restaurants with more than 10 locations on the ballots — DID work, especially here in Wesley Chapel. 

Case in point: Moving up into the Top- 25 in WC this year were the Happy Hangar CafĂ© (#11), Rice-N-Beans Puerto Rico (#14), Brunchies (#16), NY NY Pizza (#21), Latin Twist CafĂ© (#23), Burger Monger (#234) and Mama B’s Pizzeria (#25). 

Those seven restaurants replaced the following restaurants — all of which are at least mini-chains: the out-of-business Chuck Lager (which was #9 last year), Ford’s Garage (dropped out from #10), Glory Days Grill (from #15), Bahama Breeze (from #17), Bubba’s 33 (from #19), The Hungry Greek (from #22) and First Watch (from #23) 

Our readers love Noble Crust’s open kitchen — and the delicious “Southern” Italian cuisine made in that kitchen — enough to vote it as their Favorite Restaurant in Wesley Chapel for the fourth time in the last five years. (Photo by Charmaine George)

Meanwhile, in our New Tampa voting, there were eight restaurants that made it into this year’s Top-25 which did not last year, and all but one of them aren’t chain eateries. 

The newest of them was Box of Cubans, which debuted at a solid #9 with our readers this year. Others moving into the Top-25 included: Ha Long Bay (#12), Michi Ramen (#13), Cantina Mexican Restaurant (#18), Zio’s NY Bagel & Deli (#19), Koizi Endless Hibachi & Sushi (#22), The Little Greek (#23 & the only chain among the newcomers) and Bayscape Bistro (#24). 

Dropping out of the Top-25 in New Tampa were: EggTown Breakfast & Lunch (#9 last year), Hungry Crab Juicy Seafood (from #13), Fresh Kitchen (from #14), Lima Peruvian Cuisine (from #15 down to #27), Thai Lanna (from #18), Taste of NY Pizza (from #21), Burger 21 (from #22), and Gorkhali Kitchen & Peabody’s (which tied for #25 last year). 

As for the restaurants that moved up in the rankings from where they were last year in Wesley Chapel, they are Noble Crust, which bounced back from #4 last year up to its fourth #1 ranking in the past five years; Grillsmith (from #3 up to #2), Zukku-San (from #11 up to #4), The Living Room (from #6 up to #5), Señor Tequila (from #14 up to #6), Falabella Family Bistro (from #12 up to #7) Umu Japanese & Thai (from #16 up to #9), EggTown Breakfast & Lunch (from #20 up to #15), Crazy Sushi (from #25 up to #19), Arroy Thai (from #24 up to #22) and this year’s most upwardly mobile WC restaurant — Amici Pizza, which rose all the way up to #10 from #21 last year! 

Only a few WC eateries that stayed in the Top-25 actually dropped, with the biggest fall being Cooper’s Hawk Wine Bar & Restaurant — from #1 down to #17, despite how packed the place is every day. Not falling nearly as far were Azteca D’Oro (from #2 down to #3), Los Vallartas (from #5 to #12, Mac’s Custom Meats & Deli (from #7 down to #13) and PizzaMania (from #13 down to #20). 

Meanwhile, the New Tampa restaurants that finished lower in the Top-25 this year than last, are: Liang’s Bistro (from #4 last year down to #6), The Grill at Morris Bridge (from #6 down to #8), Johnny C’s Italian Eatery (from #12 down to #14), Cappy’s Pizzeria (from #16 down to #21, Las Palmas (from #2 down to #20), and Thai Ruby from #19 down to #25). 

There were two restaurants in each of our distribution areas that remained in the exact same spot they finished last year. Here in Wesley Chapel, the Florida Ave. Brewing Co. remained at #8 and Yamato Japanese Restaurant stayed at #18. Over in New Tampa, Stonewood remained our readers’ #1 Favorite for the 10th year in a row and Mr. Dunderbak’s continued to hold down the #7 ranking. 

Changes Coming For 2026 

As I said on page 1, one of the trends I couldn’t help but notice was that the deeper into this year’s survey our readers got, the fewer votes there were cast in that category. Nearly all of the 450+ ballots cast included at least some (but definitely not all complete) Top-5 votes in each reader’s distribution area (although not all of the ballots cast were by people who live in, or even close to, New Tampa or Wesley Chapel). Just about 100 of those who entered didn’t vote for a Top-5 at all in the other market, which I’ll admit was a little disappointing for yours truly. I honestly run this contest every year not just to fill space but to really let the restaurants in both of our distribution areas know what our readers think about not only them but also their competitors. 

The year that generated the most response, only a few years ago, was when I only put two or, at the most, three categories in each issue and let all of you enter as often as you wanted. That generated more than 1,500 total entries and didn’t give anyone the chance to get bored midway through marking their ballots. 

I am seriously considering going back to that format, I would just again only allow either online (on our website) or emailed ballots — the much smaller entry forms were much easier to lose when they came in by U.S. Mail. I also plan to start the balloting earlier in the year, when no one is away on summer vacation and I can fit in more categories. I may even up our Grand Prize to $500 in FREE dining. So, do me a favor and keep an eye out for it! 

Anyway, congratulations to the readers who won this year’s FREE, drawn at random (from all correctly-submitted entries) dining prizes (see yellow box at the top of this page) and of course, to all of our ranking restaurants. 

But, please realize that if you did win a prize, 1) you have to tell me which restaurant you want a gift card to and 2) I am no longer putting those prizes in the mail, so please call or email me to claim your prize! — GN 

Congratulations To This Year’s Dining Contest Winners! 

$200 — Gina Murphy, Valencia Ridge 

$100 — Alejandro Garcia, New Tampa 

$75 — Carol Caruana, Meadow Pointe 

$50 — Monica Yap, Cross Creek 

$25 — Alberto Ramirez, Heritage Isles 

Please call (813) 910-2575 or email ads@ntneighborhoodnews.com ASAP to tell us which restaurant you choose for your FREE gift card. 

2025 Dining Survey & Contest — Your #1-#10 Favorite Restaurants In Wesley Chapel! 
1. Noble Crust 

28330 Paseo Dr., Shops at Wiregrass 

(813) 703-2602 ‱ Noble-Crust.com 

Even though it was bumped down to #4 Favorite last year by our readers after a three-peat in the top spot, Noble Crust’s “Deep South Italian” fare and always-cool vibe moved it back up into this year’s #1 Favorite in Wesley Chapel ranking with our readers. 

From upscale and unusual items like pear and burrata pizza (right) and comfort foods like boneless crispy chicken wings (below left) and rigatoni beef ragu (below right), plus the always-happening craft cocktail bar, Noble Crust continues to please the masses in Wesley Chapel. 

And, with its seasonally changed menu, there’s probably something new you haven’t tried that should bring you back,
especially if it’s been a while since you last visited. 

2. Grillsmith 

2000 Piazza Ave., #100, Shops at Wiregrass 

(813) 907-1900 ‱ Grillsmith.com 

Grillsmith has consistently finished in the top-5 among our readers’ favorites every year and moved up one spot from last year’s #3 “Favorite in Wesley Chapel.” 

This five-unit mini-chain continues to offer a large menu (photo, right) of quality American cuisine, including always-fresh fish plus assortments of flatbreads, salads, steaks, burgers, chicken (like the lemon feta chicken, right) and pasta options that keep our readers coming back for more. 

Like its fellow Shops at Wiregrass staple Noble Crust, Grillsmith also is a popular weekend brunch spot with everything from bananas Foster French toast to chicken & waffles Benedict and always attracts an upscale bar crowd, too. 

3. Azteca D’Oro Mexican Restaurant 

2000 Piazza Ave., #170, The Shops at Wiregrass 

(813) 527-6033 ‱ AztecaDOro.com 

Rounding out The Shops at Wiregrass mall’s consistent top-3 is Azteca D’Oro, which has never finished lower than third in WC with our readers. 

From the gorgeous ultra-premium bar (with an amazing tequila selection) to upscale, authentic Mexican fare, like the mixed grill known as parrillada (right), plus outstanding appetizer like made-tableside guacamole, Azteca D’Oro aims to please. 

4. Zukku-San Sushi Bar & Grill 

25916 Sierra Center Blvd., Lutz 

(813) 419-1351 ‱ ZukkuSushi.com 

Although there are a lot of Japanese and other Asian restaurants in our area, there’s a reason why Zukku-San moved back up into this year’s top-5 faves in WC — consistently fresh sushi that is served on unique art palettes and always-imaginative menu options like the sushi tacos shown here. It also has the best variety of appetizers, including all different kinds of veggie tempura. 

Zukku-San also is one of only a handful of Japanese restaurants boasting a full-liquor bar and you definitely need to try its new weekend brunch — especially the fried chicken and ube waffles. 

5. The Living Room 

2001 Piazza Ave., #100, The Shops at Wiregrass 

(813) 934-7911 ‱ TLR.Restaurant 

Despite the continuing complaints online about its automatic 20% service charge, there’s obviously a lot our readers like about The Living Room, which moved up to give The Shops at Wiregrass four of the top-5 Favorites in WC this year. 

The Living Room definitely brings a creative touch and an ever-changing menu to go with its tasty craft cocktails. 

6. Señor Tequila 

1640 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Shoppes at New Tampa of Wesley Chapel 

(813) 428-5411 ‱ TheSenorTequila.com 

Jumping up eight places to its highest-ever finish with our readers is the second Mexican restaurant to crack this year’s top ten — Señor Tequila. 

With its huge menu, it can be hard to make a decision, so why not try the Señor Tequila Sampler appetizer shown here? 

Also offering great Happy Hour, Margarita Tuesday and Thirsty Thursday specials at its beautiful premium-liquor bar. 

7. Falabella Family Bistro 

6027 Wesley Grove Blvd., Suite 105 ‱ The Village at The Grove 

(813) 428-6957 ‱ FalabellaBistro.com 


I’ll admit that I was surprised when Falabella Family Bistro fell out of our readers’ Top-10 in WC last year, considering how delicious and creative its food is — including the creamy cajun trio (shrimp, chicken & Italian sausage) bucatini pasta shown here — the fact that the place is elegant, but comfortable, there are different specials every week, the bar has full premium liquor (and a great wine selection) and the owner is Steve Falabella. 

8. Florida Avenue Brewing Co. 

2029 Arrowgrass Dr. (at S.R. 56), Wesley Chapel 

(813) 452-6333 ‱ FloridaAveBrewing.com 


Although Florida Avenue Brewing Co., keeps changing its food menu, one thing hasn’t change — how much our readers enjoy it! With newer items like General Tso’s cauliflower and Gulf Coast mahi & chips, plus standards like Florida Ave. wings and cheese curds (photo), it also has a large, comfortable bar that features not only the in-house brewery’s many beers, ciders and seltzers, but also premium full liquor, it’s easy to understand why Florida Ave. Brewing Co. continues to be among our readers’ favorites. 

9. Umu Japanese & Thai 

2653 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., #120A ‱ Wesley Chapel 

(813)591-6121 ‱ UmuJapanese.com 


There’s no doubt that Umu Japanese & Thai continues to grow in popularity (jumping seven places this year to #9) because people love the restaurant’s amazing selection of fresh sushi, both standard and exotic, at its beautiful sushi bar, plus “From the Kitchen” favorites like Umu Teri (with marinated chicken or NY strip steak), Chilean Seabass Misoyaki and Pad Thai. The restaurant also is elegant and intimate and offers imported and domestic beer, wine and sake. 

10. Amici Pizza 

26602 Wesley Chapel Blvd. (CR 54) ‱ Lutz 

(813) 973-9734 ‱ Amici-Pizza.com 

Even though Amici didn’t win for Favorite Pizza Place in NT/WC (it finished third), the long-time local favorite soared to its highest-ever “Favorite restaurant in WC” finish in our Reader Survey with its 10th-place finish this year. 

Yes, our readers love the NY-style pizza, but also the real Italian favorites like chicken, eggplant or shrimp parmigiana, chicken Marsala, linguine with clams, meatball and Philly cheese steak subs and so many more. The Mannino brothers are great people serving delicious Italian food. 

2025 Dining Survey & Contest – Wesley Chapel Top-25 

1. Noble Crust (photo) 

2. Grillsmith 

3. Azteca D’Oro 

4. Zukku-San 

5. The Living Room 

6. Señor Tequila 

7. Falabella Family Bistro 

8. Florida Ave. Brewing Co. 

9. Umu Japanese & Thai 

10. Amici Pizza 

11. Happy Hangar CafĂ© 

12. Los Vallartas 

13. Mac’s Custom Meats & Deli 

14. Rice N Beans Puerto Rico 

15. EggTown Breakfast & Lunch 

16. Brunchies 

17. Cooper’s Hawk Wine Bar & Restaurant 

18. Yamato Japanese Restaurant 

19. Crazy Sushi 

20. PizzaMania 

21. NY NY Pizza 

22. Arroy Thai 

23. Latin Twist CafĂ© 

24. Burger Monger 

25. Mama B’s Pizzeria 

Your Favorite Pizza Places In Wesley Chapel & New Tampa 

Both of last year’s Favorite Pizza places repeated as the favorites in their distribution areas, even though we didn’t divide the competition this year into New Tampa & Wesley Chapel. Via Italia again got the most votes overall, with NY NY second. 

1. Via Italia (photo) 

2. NY NY Pizza 

3. Amici Pizza 

4. PizzaMania 

5. (tie) Taste of NY Pizza 

5. (tie) Mama B’s Pizzeria 


Your Favorite Burger Places In Wesley Chapel & New Tampa 

After not having a Favorite Burger category last year, we brought it back this year and Burger Monger snuck past Fat Rabbit Pub by only two votes. 

Burger 21, Culver’s and Mac’s were all several votes behind the two leaders, but I think the burger category is back to stay. 

1. Burger Monger (photo) 

2. Fat Rabbit Pub 

3. Burger 21 

4. Culver’s 

5. Mac’s Custom Meats & Deli 

Your Favorite Chicken Places In Wesley Chapel & New Tampa 

Four of the top-5 finishers in this category legitimately specialize in chicken — Raising Cane’s for its tenders and Fat Rabbit, locally famous for its wings, took the top two spots, with Chick-fil-A and Chick’n Fun close behind those two. 

1. Raising Cane’s (photo) 

2. Fat Rabbit Pub 

3. Chick-fil-A 

4. Chick’n Fun 

5. Grillsmith 

Your Favorite Steak Places In Wesley Chapel & New Tampa 

This was perhaps the most competitive new category we had, at least for places 2-5, as Stonewood dominated the vote to take the top spot. Grillsmith and Grill at Morris Bridge were within a couple of votes of each other for 2nd & 3rd, as were Roadhouse & Kobe for 4th & 5th. 

1. Stonewood Grill & Tavern (photo) 

2. Grillsmith 

3. The Grill at Morris Bridge 

4. Texas Roadhouse 

5. Kobe Japanese Steakhouse 

Asian Restaurants In Wesley Chapel & New Tampa 

Congrats to Liang’s Bistro, but this was probably my biggest fear about this year’s contest — and it proved prophetic. 

Because so many of our readers in previous years have skipped voting for Favorite Chines, Favorite Japanese, Favorite Thai and Favorite Indian restaurants, I lumped them all into one category, which I will not do again. The separate categories will return next year, even if many people skip them. No Indian places made this year’s Top-7, with Minerva finishing 8th and only Umu making the top-5 among Thai places, with Thai Ruby finishing 6th, Arroy Thai 7th and Palm Thai 8th. 

1. Liang’s Bistro (photo) 

2. Zukku-San 

3. Umu Japanese & Thai 

4. Kobe Japanese Steakhouse 

5. Sushi CafĂ© 

Your Favorite Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt In Wesley Chapel & New Tampa 

With locations in both NT and WC, Twistee Treat again grabbed the top spot over Ice Dreammm Shop, and by a wider margin this year. Surprising. Coldstone jumped up from #6 last year to #3 this year and 365 CaffĂ© and Bruster’s both joined the Top-5 after missing the top-8 last year, with Le Macaron down to 8th. 

1. Twistee Treat (photo) 

2. Ice Dreammm Shop 

3. Coldstone Creamery 

4. 365 Caffe 

5. (tie) Bruster’s Real Ice Cream 

5. (tie) Ice Ssscreamin’ 

5. (tie) Culver’s 

Your Favorite Bars In Wesley Chapel & New Tampa 

Every time I post the Favorite Bar winners, I get comments like “Those are all restaurants, not bars.” Yes, I know, but with only three actual bar-only bars — The Brass Tap, Linkster’s and Joe Whiskey’s (see ad on pg. 53) — in NT & WC, and Jannah and I doing most of our dining at the restaurants with bars, I personally have no problem with Fat Rabbit Pub at #1 and any of these five taking down the top spots. Joe Whiskey’s did finish 7th and Brass Tap 8th in this year’s voting. 

1. Fat Rabbit Pub (photo) 

2. Florida Ave Brewing Co. 

3. Peabody’s 

4. Stonewood Grill & Tavern 

5. O’Brien’s Irish Pub 

Your Favorite Bakeries In Wesley Chapel & New Tampa 

This category was almost all newcomers, as the new Paris Baguette easily grabbed the top spot and Bakery X moving up from #3 to #2. But, I was surprised Publix got so many votes, beating out the two locations (one inside the Lotte Market) of Tous Les Jours and Moschella’s beating out Zio’s for #5, with Brooklyn Water Bagel dropping to #7 and The Cake Shop in at #8. 

1. Paris Baguette (photo) 

2. Bakery X 

3. Publix 

4. Tous les Jours 

5. Moschella’s 

Your Favorite Breakfast Places In Wesley Chapel & New Tampa 

All six of the breakfast places on the list below jockeyed for position as the votes came in this year, with Keke’s dropping from #1 last year to ties for 5th this year and EggTown’s two area locations ascending to the top spot, with First Watch, also with one location in NT and another in WC, jumping up to #2 after missing the top-8 last year. Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. finished 7th. 

1. EggTown Breakfast & Lunch (photo) 

2. First Watch 

3. Happy Hangar CafĂ© 

4. Brunchies 

5. (tie) Zio’s NY Bagel & Deli 

5 (tie) Keke’s Breakfast CafĂ© 

Your Favorite Coffee Places In Wesley Chapel & New Tampa 

This year’s Top-2 didn’t make the Top-5 last year, as Coffee Latitudes (8th last year) and Sorbo (6th) grabbed the most votes this year. Provisions and Macondo stayed close behind, but dropped from #2 to #3 and #3 to #4, respectively. The biggest surprise in this category was that last year’s top vote-getter, The Bean Bar, Co. dropped all the way to #6, behind Starbucks & just ahead of Bad Ass Coffee & Raining Berries. 

1. Coffee Latitudes CafĂ© (photo) 

2. Sorbo 

3. Provisions Coffee & Kitchen 

4. Macondo Coffee Roasters 

5. Starbucks

Saddlebrook Resort Is Reborn As Mast Capital Begins Unveiling $92M Investment

Photos by Charmaine George

Whenever I hear a number like $92 million being thrown around, especially to completely redesign a clearly dated resort like Saddlebrook — which had been the jewel of Wesley Chapel since the early 1980s (and the only “attractor” bringing people to the S.R. 54 Exit 279 off I-75) for more than three decades — I know what I was picturing (and hoping for) in my head. Even so, I had no idea what to really expect from new owner Mast Capital. 

But, now that I have attended the “Media Preview Day” for the fully revamped Saddlebrook Resort on Nov. 20, it’s obvious that Mast is putting every penny of that $92 million into bringing resort founder Tom Dempsey’s Saddlebrook back to its old glory. Knowing Mr. Dempsey as I did, I’m a little sad he’s not still here to see it reborn. 

I’ve already been telling you about the restaurants that are both already open and coming soon — the delicious RARE 1981, which is located in the space previously occupied by The Tropics off Saddlebrook’s beautifully reimagined lobby (left photo), the also-open BREW coffee and breakfast counter, the opening soon (in early 2026) sports bar in the former Dempsey’s Too space adjacent to RARE 1981, and the hotly anticipated (at least by yours truly) revamped pool bar at the resort’s fabled Super Pool. 

When I rented a condo in the Saddlebrook community (not in the resort itself) when I first moved to Florida with my family in 1993, that pool bar served the best grilled hamburgers and hot dogs in town. It also had a nice, full-liquor tiki bar that was a great place to have a drink as my kids played in the Super Pool. Well, the pool bar is all-new and now open (photo, below right), and will have an upgraded food menu from the “good old days.” The “lagoon-style” Super Pool itself and especially, the patio around it (left photo below), also has been completely revamped, with dozens of umbrellas and a number of beautiful cabanas that will make hanging by the Super Pool a pleasure once again. 

But, for those who are wondering what’s happening with the building that previously was home to Dempsey’s Steak House, it is being completely repurposed as a clubhouse for Saddlebrook’s members that will be unveiled in 2026. 

As we’ve mentioned in multiple previous stories, the resort’s twin 18-hole, Arnold Palmer-designed Saddlebrook and Palmer golf courses have been replaced by three 9-hole courses and an on-site golf driving range and practice area, which will make getting ready to play a lot more convenient than the driving range’s old location near the resort’s S.R. 54 entrance. 

I haven’t played (and most likely won’t ever play) any of the golf holes, but District 5 Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano (who was on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 20, as was District 2 Commissioner Seth Weightman) has played all 18 of the holes that are already open and he praised the golf course’s redesign during the ribbon-cutting ceremony (see top photo). 

Commissioner Mariano also participated in a pickleball clinic (he’s shown returning the ball in the photo below), which allowed Media Day participants to check out the eight gorgeous new pickleball courts for themselves. 

The Media Preview began with the aforementioned ribbon-cutting ceremony and was led by Saddlebrook’s managing director Jeff Mayers, who thanked Mast Capital for its huge investment to bring the resort back to life, before introducing Commissioner Weightman, who said “The round of applause really has to go out to Mast Capital. The names Saddlebrook Resort and Pasco County go together — they’re synonymous. Saddlebrook put Pasco on the map before it became the popular place it is today. I couldn’t be more excited to be a small part of the journey to help bring Saddlebrook back to life.” 

He then introduced Commissioner Mariano, who said, “I am so thrilled with what Mast Capital has done. I was concerned about whether or not the golf course would be long enough, but they brought in Rees Jones, who specializes in renovations, and this is now a great golf course. You can now host any type of golfers at any level and have a great tournament. And what you’ve done with the lobby…spectacular, right? The pool? Incredible. Every chair is now a great place to sit, with all those umbrellas. It’s all top quality. You’ve done a phenomenal job here. Thank you, Jordan and Mast Capital for over-delivering on your promises.” 

Next up was Mast Capital’s chief investment officer Jordan Kornberg, who said his firm’s goal was to, “honor the incredible legacy that Saddlebrook has had, while breathing new life into this place. And, we are really proud of the product that we’ve delivered. At the end of the day, it’s not about us, it’s about our employees, our members and our guests. And, the feedback we’ve gotten so far from the community, in just a few weeks, has been so positive, which we really appreciate.” 

He also thanked all of the people who helped make it happen, “especially our on-property team. We couldn’t have made this a reality without all of you.” 

We then toured a couple of the guest rooms (above photo) and all I remember saying was, “Wow, what a difference.” The dated, worn furniture and musty smells are all gone and the furnishings are modern, bright and cheery. Jannah and I now look forward to staying once again at the all-new Saddlebrook Resort. 

For reservations and more information about Saddlebrook Resort, visit Saddlebrook.com or call (813) 973-1111.