The List Below Includes 150 Currently Open Restaurants Located Between Oak Grove Blvd. In Lutz & All Three Wesley Chapel Zip Codes!
We are planning to start our 2024 Reader Dining Survey & Contest in our next issue, but first, here is the list — that I hope is complete — of all of the sit-down and take-out restaurants located in all three Wesley Chapel zip codes and extending west to Oak Grove Blvd. in Lutz. If you see any that are missing from the list please email me at ads@ntneighborhoodnews.com to let me know. Below this main list are additional lists of places that are bars only, coffee or dessert-only places & other food-oriented places that can’t, in all good conscience, be called “restaurants.”
As we get ready for the 2024 Reader Dining Survey & Contest, the New Tampa dining scene continues to evolve, with more closings, openings and rumors than ever.
First, for the bad news: In the Palms Connection plaza on Bearss Ave. just west of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., Bearss Tavern & Tap and Mint Cocktail Club, both owned by Cody Jay, are now both permanently closed. We also heard, although have not yet been able to confirm, that the delicious Woodfired Pizza & Wine Bar in the same plaza was likely closing at the end of June. That would be a tremendous loss for the local Neapolitan-style-pizza-loving community.
As for new openings, although it isn’t a restaurant at all, Bull Liquors & Cigar recently re-opened in its new space in the Acropolis Greek Taverna-anchored Oak Ramble Plaza on BBD, south of Tampa Palms. The original Bull Liquors was located in the same plaza, in a much smaller space near Papa John’s Pizza and Jersey Mike’s Subs, but the new location — which took close to a year to get open — is in the plaza’s other end cap, where the last business in there was a check-cashing place, but which also has been home to four restaurants — the first being the Louis Pappas Market Café and the last being Takara Sushi & Sake.
The new Bull Liquors (at 14913 BBD) is a much larger, nicer location with a good selection of fine wines and spirits, as well as a walk-in cigar humidor. For more info, call (813) 513-8941.
Our next stop is the Publix-anchored New Tampa Center plaza on BBD, just north of New Tampa/Cross Creek Blvd, where a new sign recently went up announcing that Everbowl is planning to open in the plaza’s space just north of Publix.
Everbowl, a California-based chain of healthy bowl eateries (think Grain & Berry) with about 90 locations in 24 states, has only one other Florida location, near the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando, but its Everbowl.comwebsite promises a wide variety of bowls featuring Açai, granola, fresh fruit, peanut butter, chia pudding, blue majik (naturally blue-colored spirulina), Coco Love coconut water, Cacao Wow and other healthy, all-natural flavors.
I was surprised to not find a “Coming Soon” on the website for the location, but a spokesperson for the UCF Everbowl said that the franchisee for that location didn’t know about or ask for a Tampa location, “so it may be a different franchise owner.” We’ll keep you posted.
Speaking of healthier eating, two different health-conscious concepts that recently closed in the Winn-Dixie and LA Fitness-anchored The Cypress plaza tucked in off BBD at the corner of County Line Rd. are both in the process of being replaced.
The one we know for sure is happening is that Coffee Latitudes, which currently has a popular kiosk at the Shops at Wiregrass mall, is planning to open the Coffee Latitudes Coffee & Wine Bar in the former location of Juice Factory (at 6431 E. County Line Rd., Suite 110, next to Max’s Pets).
But, all we can tell you about the other vacant space, that previously was home to Island Fin Poké Co., is that the replacement could be a popular healthy eatery at the KRATE at The Grove Container Park. Again, we’ll keep you posted.
What the vote means for two Wesley Chapel properties & what Pasco County’s affordable housing plans are moving forward
The Tapestry at Cypress Creek apartments, located at the intersection of Wesley Chapel Blvd. and S.R.s 54 & 56, is one of two existing apartment communities that have applied to greatly reduce their property taxes under Florida’s “Live Local” law. (Source: TapestryCypressCreekApartments.com)
When the Pasco County Board of Commissioners (BOC) voted unanimously on May 21 to opt out of a portion of the state’s recently revised “Live Local” law that was originally passed last year, it didn’t stop the BOC from continuing to look to find other ways to bring affordable or “workforce” housing to the county.
“We all agreed that although those in the workforce need more affordable housing,” says District 2 Commissioner Seth Weightman, “Live Local just did not seem to accomplish that goal.”
To that end, Pasco’s senior assistant county attorney David Goldstein made a presentation to the commissioners at their May 21 BOC meeting which summarized the reasons why the county was choosing to opt out of the provision of the Live Local law (pushed by Senate President Kathleen Passidomo during the 2023 State Legislative session) that was modified towards the end of the 2024 session to allow local jurisdictions the opportunity to “opt out.”
Pasco, led by Comm. Weightman, was at the forefront of the fight to get the law changed during this year’s session, as one of the two properties that applied for the Live Local tax break — the Tapestry at Cypress Creek apartments (where Jannah and I have lived the past five years, since the complex first opened), where Wesley Chapel Blvd., S.R. 54 and S.R. 56 meet — is located in his district. I can personally vouch for what Comm. Weightman said at the May 21 meeting:
“That complex has been around for a number of years and was never intended to be an affordable housing project. It’s Class A multifamily living with amenities, right next to Wesley Chapel and the Outlet Mall.”
Goldstein outlined the conditions that will allow the county to opt out of the 80%-120% of Average Monthly Income (AMI) provision of Live Local for 2025, although both Tapestry and a complex in the Trinity area both already have applied — but neither one had yet been granted that exemption by county property appraiser Mike Wells at our press time — for 2024.
The 80%-120% provision allows rental communities to receive the Live Local tax exemption if their units rent for 80-120% of the AMI for an individual in Pasco County, which Goldstein said worked out to rents averaging about $2,000 per month. “These $2,000-per-month rents are not what our school teachers, county employees, firefighters and law enforcement officers can afford,” Goldstein told the commissioners. “It doesn’t make sense to give large tax exemptions essentially to complexes that are charging market rate rents with no charitable purpose.”
He added that Pasco also has a large surplus of apartments in that 80-120% range.
“Our deficit is only in rental units charging less than 80% of AMI, which is truly affordable or workforce housing,” he said. “But, we don’t have any communities offering rents under that 80% AMI range coming before you for approval.”
Goldstein also noted that even with the changes to the Live Local law, Pasco is still grouped with Hillsborough, Pinellas and Hernando counties in the Tampa Bay Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which is what is being used to determine if a community already has a surplus or a deficit in the number of rental units in the 80-120% AMI range, “So although our MSA has a surplus of 3,994 units at present, even if Pasco has a surplus in the future, but Hillsborough or Pinellas has a large enough deficit to more than offset our surplus, we might not be allowed to opt-out of Live Local in the future. I’m hoping the law will be refined again in the next legislative session.”
He also said he hoped that other counties in MSAs with surpluses of the 80-120% AMI units will follow Pasco’s lead and opt out of the law.
Pasco County’s senior assistant county attorney David Goldstein provides information about the changes to the state’s Live Local law to the county’s Board of Commissioners prior to the BOC’s vote to opt out of a portion of the state law regarding affordable housing. (Photo: Screenshot from Pasco BOC meeting)
Goldstein also told the commissioners that counties that still qualify under the provisions of the law will have to opt out every year, and that the apartment complexes trying to receive the tax breaks also will have to apply for those breaks every year.
“Fortunately, we only have the two complexes who may be able to receive the tax break this year,” he said, “but even just for this year, the county would lose 75% of the $1.7 million the two complexes paid in taxes last year (or more than $1.275 million combined)” if Wells does allow them to receive the Live Local tax break for 2024. “But, we can only opt out of Live Local for county taxes,” he added. “I have drafted a letter to the Pasco School Board, Mosquito Control District and the cities in the county instructing them to also opt out of the 80-120% AMI provision of Live Local for 2025.”
Goldstein also mentioned that there are flaws in the way the data that would allow Pasco and other jurisdictions to opt out of Live Local is being used.
“We can only opt out if the latest University of Florida Shimberg (Center for Housing Studies) Report, which uses American Community Survey data (based on the Census) shows that our Tampa Bay MSA has a surplus of rental units in the 80-120% AMI range,” he said. “But, that does not include recent construction — it’s always two years behind. If we have a recent apartment complex — and we have a lot of recent apartment complexes being built — it’s not counting those in the surplus inventory. We did raise that as a concern and we’re hoping it’s something else that can be refined during the next Legislative Session. The problem is that the Shimberg Report could show we have a deficit when we actually have a surplus on the ground.”
He also noted that of all of the large counties in the state, only Broward and Miami-Dade counties have large deficits of units in the 80- 120% AMI range, “So it seems like this state law was enacted only to help southeast Florida. The law really should only be applied to those areas.”
Goldstein also noted that the change in the law for 2025 only applies to tax breaks for existing communities, “So we’re hoping to get the land use part of the law changed during next year’s session. If we don’t have a deficit of those units, why should we have to give up job-creating commercial and industrial properties in the future to have more of them?”
Pasco’s five commissioners — including new Dist. 4 Comm. Lisa Yeager in her first BOC meeting since being appointed to fill the seat of the late Comm. Gary Bradford by Gov. Ron DeSantis — voted unanimously to approve opting out of the tax portion of Live Local.
Even so, at the insistence of Dist. 5 Comm. Jack Mariano — despite the fact Goldstein said it wasn’t necessary to do so — the BOC also voted 5-0 to draft a letter to the property appraiser asking him to not grant the exemption to the two rental communities that applied for it for 2024. “I’ve been in constant contact with Mr. Wells’ attorney’s office,” Goldstein said. “They’re well aware of how we feel about this.”
Talking Affordable Housing
Following their regular BOC meeting, the commissioners held a workshop on what Pasco can do to provide more affordable housing options for those in the workforce — county employees and others — especially after Goldstein noted during the regular BOC meeting that Pasco does indeed have a shortage of affordable units for those whose monthly incomes are below the 80% of the county’s AMI.
The workshop was led by Cathy Pearson, Pasco’s assistant county administrator for public services, who said she was discussing affordable housing with David Lambert, the chairman of the Pasco Housing Authority and the Executive VP and general manager of the Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative, “And we both said we have never had an affordable housing plan for Pasco County. David took me to his Pasco Housing Authority Board and convinced the Board to pay for this study for us,” Pearson said. “How wonderful.”
She also said that for the year-long study, “affordable housing was defined as housing that costs less than 30% of a household’s income.” For someone earning Pasco’s average median income of $63,187 per year, an affordable rent would be $1,579 per month, although starting teachers and many other workers only earn about 80% of that median income, so those workers could only afford rents of $1,263 per month or less.
Among the options put forth by the study to help increase affordable housing options in Pasco include legalizing “accessory dwelling units,” sometimes called backyard homes or “granny flats,” adding duplexes or even quadraplex units in existing single-family communities, the possibility of requiring developers to include or pay for affordable housing in their unit totals to receive approval for those developments, as well as expanding some kinds of public rental or home-buying assistance. Goldstein also noted that the county already has reduced mobility and impact fees for developments that include affordable housing.
Pasco Planning & Economic Growth director David Engel says the county is expected to add more than 101,000 workers to fill the jobs in the projects that are already under design or that the Board has already approved.
“So we’re going to have a tremendous need for housing in the future for that workforce.”
We told you in our last issue that Smallcakes Cupcakery & Creamery (in the Shoppes at The Pointe plaza in Tampa Palms) was getting ready to close, but until a week or so before our press time, the cupcake chain’s local link was still open, with no formal announcement from owners Marissa and Justin Dewdney as to when it would close.
Well, that fateful day (for those of us who loved those moist cupcakes and unmatched icing) did finally come and we already know that the Palms Pharmacy, located next to Smallcakes at 17008 Palm Pointe Dr., was planning to take over the bakery’s space.
“It’s going to take a while,” Palms Pharmacy owner and Doctor of Pharmacy Shahida Choudhry told the Neighborhood News. “We’re looking at several months to build the space out and get it stocked.” Of course, the independent Palms Pharmacy is still open next door during the build-out, with its chain-matching (or beating) prices and unmatched customer service.
Shahida, never one to take it easy, also recently opened The Primary Care of Wesley Chapel — with an outstanding team of three nurse practitioners, led by Scarlette Owens, APRN, FNP-C (formerly of Florida Medical Clinic in Tampa Palms) — at 2935 Pearson James Pl. (off Wesley Chapel Blvd. in the new Cypress Bend Professional Park in Lutz (photo), next to Wesley Chapel Harley Davidson).
For more information about Palms Pharmacy, visit ThePalmsPharmacy.com or call (813) 252-9063. For The Primary Care of Wesley Chapel, visit PrimaryCareWesleyChapel.com or call (813) 991-4243.
Retro Dogs Co-Owners (l-r) Gisella Latorre, Gisella Troncozo, Luis Latorre and Samantha Latorre (Photo by Charmaine George)
As you’re receiving this issue, the KRATE at The Grove Container Park recently finished celebrating its two-year anniversary on June 8, but the lineup of restaurants and shops at the KRATEs continues to evolve.
One of the biggest changes is that The Chicken Boss, the fried chicken concept opened last year by The Bacon Boss HQ owners Josh and Christy Norland, has closed. The Norlands’ announcement on The Chicken Boss’ Facebook page said, however, that “select menu items from The Chicken Boss will find a new home at The Bacon Boss HQ.”
Meanwhile, the Chicken Boss will be replaced at the KRATEs by Indian Street Kitchen, the faster-food concept from owner Harry Patel at Persis Indian Grill, the instant hit that opened earlier this year next to Double Branch Brewing & Bites in the Village at The Grove.
“We’ll be serving every type of Indian street food at the new location,” Harry told me. “Come see and taste what we have to offer.” Although he wouldn’t give me any hints as to what the menu will include (“It’s not finished yet,” he said), a quick Google search revealed that samosas, those crispy, delicately spiced potato-filled pastries that are amazing at Persis, are the most popular type of Indian street food. Harry did say that Indian Street Kitchen should be open soon., although it weas not yet open at our press time.
Meanwhile, the Sausage King, located in the second space occupied by TJ’s Hot Dogs (TJ’s was the original tenant in the Chicken Boss space at the KRATEs), has closed just a few months after opening and has now been replaced by Retro Dogs. Retro Dogs is owned by Seven Oaks residents Gisella Troncozo and Luis Latorre, and their daughters, Gisella Latorre and Samantha Latorre (photo, above), and features a make your own hot dog station, a new hotdog being added every week, French fries, milkshakes and beer.
The hot dogs at both TJ’s and Sausage King were great, but hopefully, Retro Dogs will hang around a little longer.
Although not located in the KRATEs, Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken & Wings is expected to open in the former location of King of the Coop at the front of The Grove, next to Brooklyn Water Bagel Co.
Like King of the Coop, Hangry Joe’s specializes in Nashville hot chicken sandwiches (photo, left), plus wings, shakes and waffle fries. With 21 franchise locations (including the nearest to us at 5347 Gall Blvd. in Zephyrhills, photo below), and restaurants in Korea and Dubai, Korean corporate owners Derek Cha and Mike Kim have a simple premise — “to deliver the finest chicken sandwich in town.” For more information, visit HangryJoes.com.
And finally, congratulations to new TrebleMakers Dueling Piano Bar & Restaurant (6034 Wesley Grove Blvd.) owner Jason Scott, who recently took over from original owners Jamie and Joe Hess and Lee Bevan.
Jason is an accomplished pianist who both played and booked the dueling pianists at TrebleMakers, and he is working hard to revamp the service and experience at the restaurant before trying to figure out what changes to make to the menu. He has started with new $8 lunch specials offered Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
